The outsourcing of risk: out of area placements for those diagnosed with personality disorder in the UK

According to the UK Department of Health and Social Care, out-of-area placements occur when a “person with assessed acute mental health needs who requires adult mental health acute inpatient care, is admitted to a unit that does not form part of the usual local network of services”. Although for many individuals this can mean a night in the neighbouring trust (an organisational unit within the NHS), for patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder it could mean years in a distant private psychiatric hospital.