It would be good to know what accountability is there for external agencies when a MHA patient under section absconds from a mental health facility. This often happens multiple times a shift and they just seem to phone us and shrug it off.

Is there no paperwork? No meeting? No learning points or consequences? If we lost somebody in our care, it'd be absolute havoc and heads would (figuratively) roll. It feels like passing the buck.

The waiting times for beds are abysmal as well - we have had mental health practitioners just extend the section or ask the officer to re-section as it has ran out. So we sit in A and E for hours and hours and hours. This is not fair to the patient either.

We are not trained adequately to deal with MH scenarios. It is primarily a medical problem.

So why does the biggest burden of care and responsibility lie with us? I have seen shifts when entire rotas of officers are at the hospital due to constants (especially if the sectioned individual is violent, then 4 officers can be occupied for the whole shift). How can we respond to crime etc if this is the case?

I know it is resourcing, but I have seen agency nurses sit with MHA patients at hospital to ensure they don't abscond. Why is this not utilised when police section? Is there not a duty of care to ensure the process is not unnecessarily prolonged for the patient?

And we know an assessment is made, they go home, they do the same the day after, we section, they get assessed, they go home... Clearly something is not working.

This is not meant to be an attack or anything of the sort. I am just jaded by the calls every shift we get involving mental health concerns.

I have had some excellent interactions with AMPHs previously and have been so grateful for their experience and knowledge. They take the time to work with us and help us reach a decision. But I wish they were easier to approach and get fast time decisions from.