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What is an informal patient?
If we're an informal patient, it means we've agreed to stay in hospital to get treatment and support for our mental health. We might hear this called being a ‘voluntary patient’.
Someone who looks after us could also agree for us to go into hospital, depending on our age, for example.
It's normal to feel nervous, worried or upset about going into hospital. We're here to support you.
Contents
Jump to page information on:
- Who might help me decide to go into hospital?
- Where will I go to hospital?
- What should I bring into hospital?
- What will happen when I go into hospital?
- Will I have to follow rules in hospital?
- What treatment and support will I get in hospital?
- What are my rights as an informal patient?
- What happens when I leave hospital?
Another thing that helped was talking to a lot of young people like me, people that had been through mental health struggles, are going through mental health struggles or some of my friends – Kora, 18
Who might help me decide to go into hospital?
If a mental health professional thinks that we need treatment and support in hospital, they might:
- Suggest that we go in as an informal patient
- Make a referral for us
Someone involved with the hospital should consider if this would help us. We should only go into hospital as an informal patient if it's the only way for us to get the treatment and support we need.
We usually need to agree to going into hospital. But in some cases, like if you're under 16, your parent, carer or guardian might decide for you.
Sometimes, your care team will try to find a way to look after you without going into hospital. They might do this if:
- You change your mind about going into hospital
- Your parent, carer or guardian doesn't agree to you going into hospital
But if your care team still think that hospital is the only way for you to keep safe and get the support you need, you could be sectioned. This is not the same as agreeing to go in as an informal patient.
What is being sectioned?
When we're sectioned, we're kept in hospital even if we don't agree it to.
I saw how informal patients felt like it was weird wanting to be in hospital, which shouldn't be the case at all. Hospital is there to keep you safe if you're unable to do so yourself – Lucy
Where will I go to hospital?
Informal patients should go to a hospital with a mental health ward for people under 18. You might hear this called:
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) ward in England
- Inpatient services or Tier 4 inpatient services in Wales
The hospital should be as close as possible to where you normally live.
But if there are no beds in your local area, you might have to go to a hospital far away from where you normally live. This might be for a short stay, or up to months at a time. You might hear this called an ‘out of area placement’.
Some people close to you might not have the time or money to visit you in a hospital far away. This can feel really hard for you and for them. If they're struggling with travel costs, they can ask for some support. You can get more information from your care team.
We spoke to young people who shared their difficult experiences of hospital placements:
They said once I was on the main ward, I could move back to where my mum is. But I still ended up staying there for a few months, despite being on the main ward – Sarah
I was transferred to 2 different hospitals in the Midlands in England. I'm from South Wales... There were so many miscommunications – Martha
One ward is in my county and one is in another. It was really weird – Polly
What should I bring into hospital?
If you're not sure what to bring into hospital, try thinking about what you might take on a trip away. It's easy to forget stuff, but you can ask your visitors to bring other things when they come to see you.
Some of us might go into hospital straight away, but others might get to visit the ward first. It depends on how quickly your care team think you need treatment and support.
You could bring:
- Comfy clothes
- Pyjamas
- Flip flops or sliders
- Books and magazines (staff might check these first)
- Toiletries and a toothbrush
- Period products, like pads
- Pens and notepads (that aren't spiral bound)
- Photos of family, friends or partners
- A comforting item or a cuddly toy
- Something to keep you busy, like board games, books, a tablet or games console
- Something to listen to music or podcasts on
- Lists of important phone numbers, in case there are times you can't have your phone
- Medication from your doctor, which hospital staff might need to look after
When I went in, I didn't know what to bring or what it would be like.
What am I not allowed to bring into hospital?
Every ward has its own rules about what we can and can't bring in with us.
Usually, we aren't allowed anything that we could use to harm ourselves or someone else. This might include everyday objects that we may not see as harmful.
Even if you're not sure why staff won't allow certain things, try to remember that it's to keep everyone safe. They might also take your electrical devices away at first to test them for safety.
You can't take some things onto the ward at all, like:
- Alcohol
- Illegal drugs
- Medication that's not from your doctor
- Cigarettes or vapes
- Anything with a sharp blade
If you're not sure about bringing something, you can try to call ahead and ask. Staff might be able to suggest other options for you.
It's going to be hard, no matter if you're on a really good ward or really bad ward. You could be on the best ward in the world but there will be things that are difficult and out of your control – Martha
What will happen when I go into hospital?
After the decision has been made about you going into hospital, you should be offered a place on a mental health ward with other young people.
But in some cases, you might have to stay on an adult mental health ward. This might happen if:
- You need to go into hospital quickly but there are no beds on the young people's ward.
- Being on an adult ward is better for your treatment and care. Like if you're nearly 18 and don't want to change wards when this happens, or if you have a baby.
I was an informal patient when I was 17, but I was put on an adult ward… They said it would be for a maximum of 72 hours, but I was there for almost 2 months – Martha
When you first arrive on the ward as an informal patient, a member of staff should spend some time to help you get settled. A nurse or doctor will also ask about your medical history and check your physical health.
This might be a good time to ask questions or find out about anything worrying you. You might want to ask:
- Can I have a phone in hospital?
- When are my mealtimes?
- When can I have visitors in hospital?
- What kind of activities can I do on the ward?
- How can I wash my clothes?
I was met by a really friendly nurse who showed me to my room and did a bag search. She took details like my height, weight and blood pressure. She then showed me around the ward, and into the lounge area, where I met some of the other patients.
Will I have to follow rules in hospital?
Hospitals have rules about what we can and can't do on the ward, and staff will expect us all to follow them.
For example, we might have to follow rules about:
- What time we can eat our meals
- What we're allowed to bring onto the ward
- How we should generally behave
We may have to follow some rules that are different from other people on the ward. This might depend on why we're in hospital, and how our treatment and support is going.
For example, if we've been on the ward for a while and we're responding well to treatment, we might go on leave more often than a newer informal patient.
Informal was so much better for me. My medical observations were at similar levels, but if I wanted to do something like go for a run, they wouldn't really say no – Sarah
What treatment and support will I get in hospital?
Lots of different people with different jobs will look after us in hospital. This includes nurses, doctors and mental health professionals.
The main people who look after us are called our care team. It's our care team's job to get us the treatment and support we need to get better. This might include things like:
- Talking therapies, like counselling
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Creative therapies
- Movement therapy, like yoga
- Occupational therapy, like getting help with cooking, taking public transport and food shopping
- Medication
- Other activities, depending on what works for us
If you're on a CAMHS ward, find out about the roles of certain staff on our page about who works at CAMHS.
The ward I was on had quite a structured therapy program, which was a bit like a school timetable. It contained a weekly cycle of loads of different groups, such as CBT, art therapy, yoga, baking, gardening, as well as 1-to-1 time with therapists.
Can I decide what treatment and support I get?
Your care team should always try to involve you in decisions about your treatment and support. This is called your care plan.
As an informal patient, your care team can't usually give you treatment unless you agree to it. This is called giving consent.
But in a few situations, you could get treatment without your consent. For example, if you're too unwell to make your own decisions:
- Your parent, carer or guardian can sometimes decide for you
- Your care team might decide that it's in your best interests to have the treatment
Looking after your wellbeing
Spending time in hospital can feel really difficult and scary. It's important to find ways to look after yourself.
We spoke to young people who wanted to share their own hospital wellbeing tips:
- Try to keep busy and keep having interests. If you can, do the same things you liked doing before going into hospital.
- You can make friends in hospital who might get you through really hard times.
- You might have some great discussions with other young people and start to truly understand each other.
- You can do activities together with other young people. Hospital can even be fun sometimes!
There is a community of young people, you're not alone – Polly
What are my rights as an informal patient?
Informal patients have certain rights in hospital. Knowing our rights can help us make sure that staff treat us fairly and provide the things we need.
Your rights in hospital
Our hospital rights page explains the rights we have as informal patients, and what we can do if we aren't getting what we deserve.
Go to hospital rights pageWhat happens when I leave hospital?
Leaving hospital after being an informal patient can feel like a very big step. We might hear this called ‘being discharged’ from hospital.
Before we go, our care team will want to make sure that:
- We're well enough to leave
- There is support in place for us after we leave
If you want to leave before your care team think you're ready, they should try to explain why they don't think you're ready. As an informal patient, they can't make you stay.
But, if they're worried that you might be a risk to yourself or others, they might section you. For more information, see our page on being sectioned.
If you don't feel ready to leave hospital, you should speak to your care team so that you can discuss your worries together.
The goal of hospital is to leave feeling stronger than when you went in, and feel able to cope at home, so if you don't feel like you've reached that point yet then speak up!
When you leave, your care team should give you:
- A discharge summary, which explains how long you spent in hospital as an informal patient and how your treatment went.
- A care plan, which explains a bit about you, and the care and support you need. This might include advice on what should happen if you're in crisis.
- Contact details for someone to speak to if you think your mental health is getting worse after you leave hospital.
Your care team might ask you to go back to hospital for appointments, or have check-ups with CAMHS or your doctor.
Without the support and help from the team, I really don't think I'd be alive today and have overcome my problems. Hospital is a really scary prospect, but it was nowhere near as bad or as scary as I thought.
Sectioned
Being sectioned means that you’re kept in hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983.
There are different types of sections, that have different rules to keep you safe.
The length of time that you can be kept in hospital depends on which section you are on.
See our page on being sectioned for more information.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryWard
This describes the area of the hospital you're staying in. You may also hear it called a unit.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryCare team
These people look after you when you're getting treatment and support for a mental health problem. Your care team might include nurses, doctors and therapists.
They may look after you in hospital, at home or support you through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Visit our full treatment and support glossary
Talking therapies
These involve talking with a professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. There are many types of talking therapies, such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). You usually take part for an agreed length of time or number of sessions.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryCreative therapies
This means using things like music, drawing, painting, dancing, drama or playing games to express your thoughts and feelings.
It can also mean doing creative activities to improve your wellbeing and confidence. For example, writing or acting out stories with other young people.
You might take part in creative therapies in a group or by yourself.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryOccupational rehabilitation therapy
This is a type of treatment with a trained therapist. It can help you build your confidence and skills in things like self-care, going to or remaining in work or study, or hobbies.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryCare plan
This is a plan that explains:
- Your mental health problem
- What treatment and support you need
- Who will provide that support
They might also cover what should happen if you're in a mental health crisis.
There are different types of plans, such as a Care Programme Approach (CPA) or Care and Treatment Plan (CTP). Whatever type of plan you have, you should always be given a copy of it.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryConsent
This is when you agree to something, like going into hospital or having treatment.
You can’t consent to something unless you are competent to (if you’re 15 or below), or you have capacity (if you’re 16 or above).
Being competent or having capacity means that you understand what you’re consenting to and what might happen if you say yes or no to it.
Visit our full treatment and support glossary
Child services
This is a department of social services that looks after children and young people’s social care. They’re run by a local authority. You may also hear them called children and young people’s services.
Child services can:
- Review your care needs
- Support your parents or carers
- Support you if you have a disability or special educational needs
- Help protect you from harm, like domestic abuse
Policy
This is a document that sets out how an organisation will act in certain situations.
For example, a transition policy should explain how an organisation will manage you leaving their service.
Restrictive interventions
When you’re in hospital for your mental health, staff can use something called restrictive interventions. These should be used to protect yourself and others. And they should only be used if there is a serious risk of harm.
Restrictive interventions might include:
- Physically holding you to stop you hurting yourself or someone else
- Giving you medication to calm you down quickly
- Taking you away from situations which are upsetting you
- Removing you from other young people on the ward for a long time (which you might hear called ‘seclusion’)
When staff use restrictive interventions, they must follow special rules. These include:
- They must only be for the shortest time possible
- You should be kept safe throughout
- You must be treated with respect
- They must be written down in your notes
If you feel that staff aren’t following the rules, you can make a complaint. See our information on understanding complaints and making a complaint.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryLocal authority
This is the local government for where you live. They provide services such as health services, social services, schools, transport and housing.
Each local government decides how services are run. This means that some services in different areas may have different rules.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryAdvocate
Advocates can help you speak up about things that are important to you. And help make sure your voice is heard.
In some situations, you will have a legal right to have an advocate. This is called statutory advocacy.
Even if you don’t have a right to an advocate, there are other types of advocacy that can help you get your voice heard.
See our page on advocacy for more information.
Informal patient
You may also hear this being called voluntary patient. It means that you, or someone who looks after you, agree for you to stay in hospital to get treatment and support for your mental health.
See our page on being an informal patient for more information.
Visit our full treatment and support glossarySection 17 leave
When you're sectioned, your main doctor might give you permission to have time away from the ward. This is called section 17 leave. But you might just hear this being called leave.
Your doctor might set conditions or rules for your leave, like only being allowed to go out with a parent or carer.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryDischarge
This means your treatment at a hospital, clinic or other service is ending. You may be discharged because:
- You’ve completed your treatment
- You’re old enough to use a different service
- You’ve asked to leave
- The next part of your treatment needs to continue somewhere else
Your care team should explain what this means, and what will happen if you need care in the future.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryIndependent mental health advocate (IMHA)
An IMHA is an advocate specially trained to help you find out your rights under the Mental Health Act 1983 and help you while you are detained. They can listen to what you want and speak for you.
- You have a right to an IMHA if you are:
detained in hospital under a section of the Mental Health Act, but not if you are under sections 4, 5, 135 and 136 - under Mental Health Act guardianship, conditional discharge and community treatment orders (CTOs)
- discussing having certain treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
In Wales, voluntary patients can also have an IMHA.
See our pages on IMHAs (England) and IMHAs (Wales) for more information.
Visit our full listing of Legal TermsPersonal information
This is any information that can be used to identify you. For example, your name, address or your IP address.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryGroup therapy
This means being part of a group of young people who attend therapy sessions together. It can be helpful as being with other young people may help you to understand what you’re going through.
Group therapy is led by a psychologist or therapist. It often combines different types of therapy, like talking therapy or creative therapy.
You might attend group therapy as your main therapy. Or you might have treatment and support on your own as well.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryCognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
This is a type of talking therapy with a trained therapist. It can help you look at your thinking patterns and behaviours, to help you find new ways of coping.
CBT may be face-to-face, over the phone or over video call.
Discharge summary
This is a report completed by your care team when you are discharged from hospital. It should explain any diagnosis you have and summarise the care and treatment you’ve had in hospital.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryChild and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
These are services that can support you with your mental health.
You might see them called different names sometimes, but they offer the same thing:
- In Wales, they're called Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (SCAMHS).
- In England and Wales, you might also hear them called Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS).
Find out more in our CAMHS information hub.
Counselling
This is a type of talking therapy with a trained counsellor. Counselling can help you:
- Talk through a problem or situation that is negatively affecting your mental health
- Recognise how it affects you
- Work out positive coping strategies or ways to make the situation better
It may be face-to-face, over the phone or over video call.
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryRights
Rights generally exist to protect and help us. If you have a right or the rights to something in everyday life, it means you're entitled to have it or do it.
Our rights are often set out in laws, like the Equality Act 2010. Sometimes, rights might be set out in other policies and guidelines.
Some rights can never lawfully be taken away from us. However, sometimes another law can interfere with or restrict our rights. For example, if we are arrested or sectioned.
For more information, see our page on your rights.
Visit our full treatment and support glossarySolicitor
A solicitor is a type of lawyer who can support and represent you and your family in a legal case. Solicitors can help you understand laws related to any problems you have.
For example, you might hire a solicitor if you're making a complaint or struggling to claim something you have a right to.
Some solicitors can cost a lot of money, while others don't charge at all .
Visit our full treatment and support glossaryAdmitted
This means going to a hospital, clinic or another service to get treatment and support for your mental health.
If you’re admitted to hospital, you might go in as:
- An outpatient
- A day patient
- An inpatient
Visit our full treatment and support glossary
Referral
This is a request to a service which asks them to review:
- How you’re feeling
- What support you need
The referral helps explain to the new service why they should see you and what the best way to help you might be.
Sometimes referrals can be made by yourself, a family member or social worker. But they’re often made by your doctor as they understand your medical history.
Published: December 2024
Next review planned: December 2027
We spoke to young people who agreed to give quotes for this page. Their experiences are not related to the people shown in the photos.
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