Your rights
• You have the right to:
o be treated with dignity and respect
o be consulted, receive information
about your treatment and rights and
to have your questions answered
o treatment, support and discharge
planning that is reviewed regularly
o refuse medical treatment (with some
exceptions)
o a second opinion – you can discuss
this with staff
o contact people by mail, phone or
electronically, and be visited (this
right may be restricted)
o privacy and confidentiality of your
personal information
o access your medical records (this
right may be restricted)
o safe and high level care including
security of your personal belongings
o an Interpreter
o access the Community Visitor
Program - A Community Visitor will
contact you within 24 hours (1 day)
of being notified of your request for
a visit
o make a complaint to your hospital,
the NT Ombudsman or the Health
and Community Services Complaints
Commission (HCSCC)
o have your case reviewed by the NT
Civil and Administrative Tribunal
(NTCAT).
The information in this brochure relates to the
laws set out in the Mental Health and Related
Services Act 1998. Information about the Act is
summarised in the following set of brochures:
• Referral to hospital for an examination
(Form 9)
• Voluntary treatment in hospital
• Treatment in the community
• Involuntary treatment in hospital
• Receiving treatment for a mental illness
More information is also available from
https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing/mental-health
Northern Territory Mental Health Access
Line (24hrs, 7 days)
Free call: 1800 682 288
Community Visitor Program
Free call: 1800 021 919
NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
(NTCAT)
Free Call: 1800 604 622
Health and Community Services Complaints
Commission (HCSCC)
Free Call: 1800 004 474
Involuntary
treatment in
hospital
This brochure provides you with
information about what your rights are and
what you can expect if you are admitted to
hospital as an involuntary patient under the
Mental Health and Related Services Act
1998.
Becoming an involuntary patient
If you have been admitted to hospital as an
involuntary patient, it is because:
• An authorised psychiatric practitioner has
said that you need treatment and care in a
treatment facility; and
• there is a significant risk to yourself or
another person if you do not get
treatment, and
• you are not well enough to be able to
make a decision about treatment, and
• treatment in the community is not an
option at this time; and
• there is no less restrictive way of providing
you with treatment.
An authorised psychiatric practitioner is a
doctor who has been specially trained to
diagnose and treat mental health disorders.
What you can expect
• You are admitted to either of the following
hospitals:
o Royal Darwin Hospital; or
o Alice Springs Hospital.
• You will receive treatment for your mental
illness in that hospital
• You will not be allowed to leave the
hospital until the treatment order ends (or
unless you are granted leave).
• You will not be allowed to smoke in
hospital and you may need to apply for
leave to be able to smoke.
Do you get a say in the treatment you
receive?
• You will always be asked for your
agreement before being given treatment.
• Being an involuntary patient means that, if
necessary, you can be given treatment
without your consent.
• Your treating team will take your wishes
into account when making decisions about
your treatment.
• You will be involved in developing your
treatment, support and discharge plans.
Are you allowed to leave the hospital?
• You cannot leave the hospital without
permission.
• If you leave without approval, the police
can return you to the hospital.
• You can ask your authorised psychiatric
practitioner for leave from the hospital. The
authorised psychiatric practitioner may
agree if this will help your recovery and it is
safe for you to be away from hospital. They
may also decide that you need a support
person to go with you.
• The authorised psychiatric practitioner will
need to check with your carer/family before
agreeing for you to have leave.
• You must return to the hospital when your
leave ends. If you do not, a staff member,
security officer or the police can take you
back to the hospital.
How long is my admission for?
• Depending on your illness, you may be
admitted to hospital for up to 14 days.
• The NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
(NTCAT) will review your admission
within 7 – 14 days.
• You may request an earlier review by
NTCAT (staff can help you with this).
• The authorised psychiatric practitioner
will examine you before the NTCAT
review so that they can provide up to
date information to NTCAT on the
progress of your treatment.
• NTCAT will then decide whether your
admission needs to be continued and for
how long.
How does the involuntary admission end?
• At any time while you are a patient, the
authorised psychiatric practitioner can
decide that:
o you no longer need to be an
involuntary patient and you can either
stay as a voluntary patient or leave
the hospital, or
o you can now receive treatment in the
community on a Community
Management Order.
• You must be discharged and allowed to
leave the hospital if:
o your admission order expires and is
not continued, or
o NTCAT reviews your case and decides
that you no longer need to be an
involuntary patient in hospital.
