The operation of section 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 - An empirical study of the transfer of remand prisoners to hospital

Remand prisoners requiring urgent in-patient psychiatric treatment can be t ransferred from prison to hospital under section 48 of the Mental Health Ac t 1983. During the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in the us e of section 48. However, apart from this increase in numbers and the presu med clinical benefits it brings to transferees, to date very little has bee n known about the overall effect of the usage of section 48. The study pres ented here attempts to provide an overall picture of the patients transferr ed in 1992, the section 48 process and the effect this had on the ultimate disposal of transferees.