Detentions Under Section 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act – Age and Gender

Variable filters

You will be able to change the filter selections once you've chosen how to view the data.
Data description

This indicates what a data value represents

3 of 3 selected
No values match your search
Provider Health Board
8 of 8 selected
No values match your search
Data Period Quarter
27 of 27 selected
No values match your search
Age
4 of 4 selected
No values match your search
Gender
4 of 4 selected
No values match your search

Choose how to view the data

You'll be asked to choose 2 variables to show on a table
The data will be shown with columns for each of the variables in the dataset, with a data value for all combinations of variables

Next update expected:28 May 2026

Updates

26th February 2026

New quarter added and revisions applied to previous data where applicable.

27th November 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Management information
Data provider
Welsh Government
Data source
Removal of a suspected mentally disordered person to a place of safety (s.135 and s.136 Mental Health Act) data collection
Time period covered
April 2019 to December 2025

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 give police officers lawful authority to take a person from a private dwelling (Section 135) or from a public place (Section 136) to a place of safety to enable an assessment of their mental health for the purpose of their own and/or the safety of others. This table provides quarterly data on the age and gender of those detained under Section 135 and Section 136 in each health board across Wales.

The table shows, for each age group and gender category:

  • the number of Section 135 and Section 136 detentions

The age of a person detained is their age on the day when the warrant allowing the police to enter a person’s home is executed (Section 135) or the police encountered the person (Section 136). The gender of a person detained is classified according to the gender that person considers themselves to be. If a person is not able or willing to state their gender, then they are recorded according to the last available classification, for example during a previous hospital admission or details available from their GP.

Data collection or calculation

The NHS Wales Performance Division in Welsh Government receive quarterly Removal of a Suspected Mentally Disordered Person to a Place of Safety (s.135 and s.136 Mental Health Act 1983) reporting forms from each health board. Standards relating to the forms have been reviewed and passed by the Welsh Information Standards Board (WISB) and the Welsh Information Development Group (WIDG) (previously known as the Data Standards Change Notice Sub-group).

Statistical quality

The NHS Wales Performance Division in Welsh Government upload the data received quarterly. The data processing system used ensures that data is not missing from the returns. Further validation and verification checks are then undertaken quarterly, including, for example, checking trends in the data and any significant drops in numbers. Any abnormalities in the data are noted and are raised with the relevant health board, thus enabling health board to check, correct or comment on their data and to provide contextual information where relevant.

If a data value previously published is found to be incorrect and subsequently is corrected or has been changed to improve accuracy, an r will be added to the relevant data value in the next publication.

Further information can be found in the related [Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010: quality report] (https://www.gov.wales/detentions-under-section-135-and-136-mental-health-act-quality-report)

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
hss.performance@gov.wales