3,009
edits
Changes
→Can involuntary patients leave the hospital on their own?
Some involuntary patients leave the hospital on extended leave and still have involuntary outpatient treatment that the hospital director authorizes. These patients have the right to periodic hearings by a panel—as if they had stayed in the hospital as involuntary patients.
==How do reviews work?== Involuntary patients have the right to have a Board panel review their hospitalization—after they are involuntarily admitted and after each renewal of their hospitalization. It’s not automatic—they (or someone acting for them) have to ask for it. To do that, the patient (or someone acting for them) must complete an application form available on the Board website (http://www.mentalhealthreviewboard.gov.bc.ca www.mentalhealthreviewboard.gov.bc.ca), at the Board office (call 604.524.7220), and at the hospital.
A panel of three people (a medical doctor, a lawyer, and a person who is not a doctor or lawyer) performs the review. The panel must hold a hearing within 14 to 28 days after the Board receives the application, depending on how long the person is being hospitalized for. A patient has the right to have a lawyer, friend, or advocate speak for them.