Community treatment orders: An analysis of the first five years of use in England

Abstract

Background: Community treatment orders (CTOs) were introduced in England in 2008. Aims: To measure the rate of CTO use in England during the first 5 years following introduction. Method: The number of involuntary detentions and CTOs in National Health Service (NHS) hospital trusts was collected between 2009 and 2014. Rates of CTO use and the ratio of CTOs to detentions on admission were calculated, and how these varied between trusts. Results: The number of new CTOs each year ranged between 3834 and 4647. The number subject to a CTO per 100 000 population increased from 6.4 in 2009/10 to 10.0 in 2013/14. There was variation between NHS trusts in the use of CTOs when compared with the number of involuntary detentions Conclusions: The number of patients on CTOs increased year on year. Those on forensic sections were more likely to be discharged on a CTO than those on civil sections. There was considerable variation in the pattern of use between hospitals.