Publication, Part of Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures
Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures, 2023-24
Official statistics, National statistics, Accredited official statistics
Issue with data on repeat detentions
An issue was uncovered with the repeat detentions data within this publication. The data in the CSV file, Table 6 of the Excel file and the relevant page in the publication has been updated to show corrected data.
11 September 2025 11:00 AM
People subject to the Act at year-end
People subject to the Act at year-end by provider type
Based on MHSDS returns only, there were 22,261 people reported as being subject to the Act on 31st March 2024, compared to 21,016 a year earlier. Around 1 in 5 of these people were detained in the independent sector, but the true proportion may be higher as not all independent providers submitted data. This comparison also excludes people detained in acute settings, as it was not possible to count these people via the ECDS this year.
People subject to the Act at year-end by parts of the Act
People may be detained under Part II of the Act (civil sections) or Part III (via the criminal justice system).
Nearly a third (29.2 per cent) of all people detained in hospital on 31st March 2024 were detained under Part III of the Act. This proportion was higher in independent providers (34.0 per cent) than NHS facilities (26.9 per cent).
Last edited: 11 September 2025 11:07 am