Introductory guide: your rights when detained under the Mental Health Act in England: civil sections

This introductory guide is for people detained under sections 2 and 3 of the Mental Health Act, or people who are in hospital as a voluntary patient. A voluntary patient (also called an informal patient) is someone who is in hospital but is not detained under the Mental Health Act. Sections cover: why am I being detained; how should the decision to detain me be made; your right to speak to an independent mental health advocate; what can you or your nearest relative do if you think that you shouldn’t be in hospital; and additional guidance for those who need to stay in hospital and extra help for disabled people.