There are several different things that have been brough up here, and it would appear all lumped together as being the same thing, but are actually quite different & distinct powers.
When we talk about "detain" - there are perhaps two meanings in the context of Mental Health. One is to physically detain / hold onto a person. The other is to form an opinion that a person has a mental illness, or is a danger to themselves or others, and to "detain them" - (physically or otherwise) and get them to medical assistance.
Under the Mental Health Act, 2003, Section 23
(1) Where a member of the police force has reasonable cause to believe—
(a) that a person has a mental illness; and
(b) that the conduct of that person is or has recently been such as to cause danger to himself or herself or to others,
the member of the police force may apprehend that person, using only such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose, and take him or her as soon as practicable to a medical practitioner for examination
So Police can form the opinion that a person is at risk, as above, and make them go to medical help (by force or otherwise).
Under this section, ambos can't form that opinion, but if someone else does (eg Police, or medical practitioner), then ambos can use force - if they do, it is not considered assault.
In practice, they don't use force, they get Police to do it for them
(6) An ambulance officer—
(a) may, if summoned by a person exercising powers under this section in relation to a particular person, convey that person to such place as the person exercising the powers specifies; and
(b) may use such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose.
And (
A member of the police force and an ambulance officer may assist each other in the exercise of powers under this section
So each can assist the other - so an ambo can assist a police officer is holding a patient down, whilst getting them to hospital
As for waiting outside a house for police to come, as the patient wouldn't let the nurse / Doctor / ambo in, that is another power under the Act - still under Section 23
(5) A member of the police force may, in exercising powers under this section, break into any premises, using only such force as is reasonably necessary for the purpose
Although, anyone has Common Law right to break into a premises, to protect life & property....but in the cases of Mental Health issues, it will be the police who do the job....
I hope that clears up the issue of detaining mental health patients.....
Pip
(Who gets to deal with them almost every working day)