New figures show number of people detained in the UK

For the first time, the number of people deprived of their liberty in the UK has been released in a report published by the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).

The data is for 2015-16 and shows that more than 124,000 people were detained in the UK on any given day, although this figure is likely to be much higher as the NPM was unable to include data for a number of settings.

The NPM is responsible for the independent monitoring of all places of detention throughout the UK, including secure mental health facilities, children's secure accommodation, police custody, and prisons.

The Commission is one of 20 independent organisations that make up the NPM, and is particularly interested in people who have mental ill health and need to be detained for treatment.

The Commission found that there were 2,193 episodes of emergency detention (up to 72 hours) which took place in Scotland in 2015-16 under the Mental Health (Scotland) Act.

These figures are published with the NPM's seventh annual report, which gives an overview of its work monitoring detention across the whole of the UK.

In 2015-16 the Commission undertook visits to all intensive psychiatric care units and inpatient learning disability units in Scotland, where Commission staff members looked at rights and restrictions. This resulted in two national reports, and the Commission now expects all psychiatric units where seclusion may be used to have seclusion policies in place.

The Commission also collaborated with other NPM members in its aim to prevent the ill treatment of people in detention - in September 2015, the Commission worked with the Scottish Human Rights Commission to produce a report on human rights in mental health care in Scotland.

Colin McKay, chief executive, Mental Welfare Commission, said:

"The Commission has a specific interest in people who are very unwell and need to be detained in order to get treatment.

"Part of our mission is to protect the human rights of people with mental health issues, many of whom are treated in mental health facilities against their will. We are therefore pleased to see such scrutiny, and welcome the publication of the NPM's annual report."

Jamie Wilson 0131 313 8782

Notes to Editors:

A copy of the annual report can be found on NPM website from 13 January 2017 here.

Copies of all publications from the Mental Welfare Commission can be found here.