Absconding and missing patients

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Target exams

Red flags

• Detained patient missing with active suicidal intent, recent high-lethality attempt, or known lethal means access — treat as critical; search and escalate police without delay
• Inpatient suicides frequently occur off the ward after absconding or unauthorised absence — never normalise 'they always come back'
• Failure to return from leave when suicide or violence risk was the reason leave was restricted — same urgency as ward abscond
• Vulnerable older adult, child/adolescent, or person with intellectual disability missing — exposure, exploitation, and traffic injury risk
• Forensic or dual-status patient absconsion — dual clinical and justice obligations; structured leave review after return
• Voluntary high-risk patient leaving against medical advice with no safety plan, means access, or follow-up — capacity and legal pathways, not passive discharge