Last modified on Sat 30 Jan 2021 02.02 EST
Hospital trusts in England have been told to stop using virtual assessments to section people under the Mental Health Act after a judge ruled them unlawful.
An NHS trust sought a court judgment on remote assessments after the Department of Health and Social Care issued guidance in November indicating that this method could be used as part of an evaluation during the pandemic.
Experts said that a “small but significant” number of people may have been sectioned this way.
Following the judgment, an email was sent to mental health professionals from NHS England saying “immediate action required”. It added that anyone detained via remote assessment would need to be notified.