Are In-Patient Mental Health Rehabilitation Units the Most Appropriate Pathway for Patients Detained on Section 47/49 of the Mental Health Act in England?

Prisoners that require secondary mental health care and treatment either remain within the Criminal Justice system or may be transferred into a hospital environment, via the Mental Health Act (MHA). Remaining in prison is usually inappropriate, with prisoners unable to access the same level of care afforded to those transferred to hospital. However, hospital services are expensive and highly variable in their provision of care and include ill-defined Rehabilitation Units.