Mental Health Absence Without Leave

Mental Health Absence Without Leave is a type of LEAVE.

A period of Mental Health Absence Without Leave occurs when PATIENTS who are liable to be detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983, subject to guardianship or who are on a Community Treatment Order and have been recalled to hospital, absent themselves from hospital without leave being granted, or absent themselves without permission from any place where they are required to reside in accordance with conditions imposed on granted Mental Health Leave of Absence, or fail to return to hospital by midnight on the day specified for return from granted Mental Health Leave of Absence.

The PATIENT will be liable to be taken into custody until the end of the relevant period set out in the Mental Health Act 1983 as amended by the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995.

The period of Mental Health Absence Without Leave starts:

• On the day the PATIENT absents themselves from hospital, or absent themselves from required place of residence or

• The day following the Mental Health Leave of Absence planned return date.

Where PATIENTS absent themselves for a period less than a day and return on the same day, an occurrence of Mental Health Absence Without Leave should not be recorded.

PATIENTS who have absented themselves from hospital or Care Home and fail to return within 28 days from the first day of absence will be discharged from their current Hospital Provider Spell or Care Home Stay.

The period of Mental Health Absence Without Leave ends when the PATIENT:

• returns voluntarily

• is taken into custody

• fails to return within the relevant period set out in the Mental Health Act 1983 as amended by the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995.