Title II: Organisation

Units for difficult patients receive patients undergoing psychiatric care without consent in the form of full hospitalisation pursuant to Chapters III and IV of Title I of Book II of Part Three of this Code orArticle 706-135 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and whose state of health requires the implementation, on medical proposal and for therapeutic purposes, of intensive care protocols and special security measures.

I.-Prior to the admission of a patient to a unit for difficult patients, the psychiatrists practising in this unit may visit the health establishment in which the patient is hospitalised in order to examine the patient. II – A patient’s admission to a unit for patients with difficult mental health conditions is decided by order of the prefect of the department or, in Paris, the prefect of the police force,…

The patient is accompanied on the outward journey by staff from the establishment that requested admission to the unit for the seriously ill and on the return journey by staff from the establishment receiving the patient leaving the unit for the seriously ill.

In each département where a unit for difficult patients is located, a medical monitoring committee is set up, made up of four members appointed by the director general of the regional health agency: 1° A doctor representing the regional health agency ; 2° Three hospital psychiatrists not working in the unit for difficult patients. The members of the committee mentioned in 2° are appointed for a renewable three-year term. Alternate…

The medical monitoring committee may examine the situation of a patient hospitalised in the unit for difficult patients in the department where it is located at any time. It examines the file of each patient hospitalised in the unit at least every six months. It informs the departmental commission for psychiatric care of its findings. The matter may also be referred to it by 1° By the person hospitalised in…

When the medical monitoring committee provided for in article R. 3222-4, to which a referral may be made by the psychiatrist in charge of the unit for difficult patients, finds that the conditions referred to in article R. 3222-1 are no longer met, it refers the matter to the Prefect of the department in which the unit is located or, in Paris, to the Police Prefect, who issues an order…

The medical monitoring committee visits the unit for difficult patients at least once every six months. It sends a report of its visit to the departmental committee for psychiatric care, to the departmental prefect or, in Paris, to the police prefect, and to the competent public prosecutor.