What you’ll get from this guide

• In what circumstances restraint can be used, and in what circumstances doctors can request that it is removed.
• When doctors should be involved in decisions to restrain patients.
• The use of restraint in NHS settings.

How to use this guide

The guidance applies primarily to circumstances where people are detained in prisons but may also be relevant to prisoners in police stations, young offenders’ institutions and asylum seeker detention centres.

It is not a set of rules or instructions, or a substitute for careful reflection and discussion with colleagues.

You can seek additional advice on specific dilemmas from the BMA’s medical ethics and human rights department, the GMC, or your medical defence organisation.