Demographic and referral patterns of people detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act (1983) in a south London Mental Health Trust from 2005 to 2008.

This study aimed to retrospectively examine demographic and referral data for all detainees under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act (1983) at a 'place of safety' in one London Mental Health Trust over a three-year period. Data were collected for 887 consecutive detentions and indicated a clear over-representation of black detainees compared with their representation in the local population. A high proportion of detentions (41.2%) did not result in hospital admission. Implications for practice and service user experience should be considered as long as Section 136 remains an entry point to mental health services for many black people. There are implications for interprofessional practice where Mental Health Trust resources are expended supporting Section 136 detentions in which no hospital treatment follows.