Admission & Transfer

The Care Programme Approach (CPA) is a structured process for the management of risk and the care and treatment planning of patients. All discharges and transfers from the State Hospital is managed by the CPA process which includes Transfer / Discharge CPA meetings, CPA Reviews and CPA Contingency Planning meetings – including those convened under the Early Discharge Protocols. Furthermore, there is a need for the transfer pathway and risk management arrangements to be facilitated by the CPA process and / or Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) for a relatively small number of high-profile patients.

Patients are admitted for a minimum of four to eight weeks for assessment. Thereafter, length of stay depends on the individual patient’s care and treatment plan and detention order.

A patient would be considered for transfer to lower security once their mental health had improved and their behaviour was settled for a prolonged period. Transfers involve a series of visits to the receiving service.

Appeals Against Excessive Levels of Security

The Mental Health Tribunal gives patients the right of appeal against excess levels of security.