Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleElla PickoverThursday 09 April 2026 01:18 BSTThe HSSIB has called on the Government to act to prevent staff from working in a “legal grey area” (Peter Byrne/PA)An investigation by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has found that mental health patients in crisis are facing "inhumane" conditions due to legal ambiguities.A&E staff lack clear legal powers to prevent patients awaiting assessment or admission from leaving, forcing doctors to choose the "least harmful way to break the law".One consultant psychiatrist described the dilemma as stark: unlawfully holding someone and breaching human rights, or allowing them to leave and risk harm.Inspectors observed a patient locked in a single room with only a toilet for over four days, with staff describing the situation as "cruel" and "inhumane" due to the lack of therapeutic intervention.The HSSIB has urged the Government to act to provide clear legal frameworks, stating that unclear powers have a devastating impact on patients and place staff in an impossible position.In fullPatient locked in single room for more than four days after mental health crisis, investigation findsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in