A Section 5 (4) is a temporary nursing holding power to ensure the immediate safety of a hospital in-service user while assessment by a doctor is arranged.
A registered Mental Health Nurse.
A Section 5 (4) holding power lasts for up to six hours.
There is no right to appeal against a Section 5 (4) as it is reassessed quickly by a doctor. The Section 5 (4) ends when the doctor arrives to complete their assessment.
If there was no doctor available to complete an assessment and a service user needed to be prevented from leaving the hospital, because there was an immediate concern about their health or safety or for the protection of others, the registered mental health nurse could use Section 5(4) to provide immediate safety.