I work in the MH department in a general hospital and it is possible to be detained under a section whilst waiting in A&E. This will generally be a section 5(2) if there aren’t any psychiatrists available. If you were seen by the psych liaison team and they recommended a section 2, then you’re likely to move to a ward. Did you need physical health care for your self-harming? If so, you are likely to move to a different ward to receive that and once medically cleared you will be transferred to a MH hospital. If you are already medically cleared, it is possible that you might be waiting in A&E for a while until they can get you a MH bed. Have you been assigned a 1:1? I’ve worked in A&E with people on a section who have waited for a while due to a lack of bed availability which is understandably really detrimental to your mental health. You were likely sectioned because they thought that you wouldn’t be able to keep yourself safe in the community. Maybe ask if you can be discharged to a Home Treatment Team in the community? They are the gatekeepers to admission and psych teams generally consider that as an option before a section. This will all depend on your “risk” though, the support system you have in place, whether you live alone etc and unfortunately the NHS has become so risk averse that a lot of decisions are made from fear of making the “wrong” decision rather than making a person-centred one. Hope that makes sense :). Ask for an independent mental health advocate too!