Psychiatrists are very concerned proposed changes to the Mental Health Act could result in tragic outcomes for some patients.
The Act sets out the law on how and why a person can be admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Proposed changes include raising the threshold for that to happen, so only those at an immediate risk of harm would be admitted.
Vice President at the College of Psychiatrists Dr. Lorcan Martin is worried people who aren't deemed at serious risk could suddenly deteriorate:
"Raising the thresholds that extent is going to cause big problems and tragedies, I can almost guarantee, would happen because people... It's very easy to go from being unwell but not at risk to suddenly being at risk or being unwell and the risk not being identifiable to something tragic happening. And that's one of the biggest concerns that we have."
