RQIA Guidelines Module 4: Mental Health (NI) Order 1986 – safeguards and rights

This module will be of interest to people who use mental health services, their families and carers as well as professionals with duties and responsibilities under the legislation.

The Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 recognises that an individual with a mental disorder may at certain times, because of their illness or condition be potentially vulnerable. The Order therefore contains a number of provisions to protect their rights and these will be described in the module.

The Order gives others powers to intervene in a way that may interfere with some of the patient’s human rights, including liberty, and offers compensatory protections through its processes.

We are pleased to offer this module free for those without a paid subscription. If you are a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, you can log in straight away using the same username and password with which you access the members' area of the College website. Otherwise, all you need to do is register with the College .