Original post by MiserySectioning can be done by a single psychiatrist who can detain you for assessment for 72 hours. After this, you need to be assessed by a panel of two psychiatrists and a specialist mental health worker, usually a social worker, to extend or revoke the section. Once you're in the hospital, a nurse will usually go through your rights and what is expected of you, and what you'll need to do to get out of the hospital.
You will be escorted to the hospital by at least one nurse from the facility, usually by ambulance or taxi. If you choose not to accompany them to the ward, the police will be sent after you, no question about it.
All hospitals are different. There are regular wards and PICU (Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit) wards, with most wards housing around 20 patients, though PICU wards usually only have between 2 to 4 patients at any one time. You will be locked into the ward through the main entrance, and the only way you'll get out is if your section is revoked, if you're granted leave or if you're taken somewhere by staff. In a PICU ward, usually all doors will be locked, including interior ones.
When admitted, you and your belongings will be searched for restricted items, including drugs, alcohol and anything that you could hurt yourself or others with. You are allowed things such as books, clothing and similar. You won't be strip searched, instead, you remove one piece of clothing at a time and it is checked and handed back to you.
Some hospitals will have barred or grated windows, but all will only open a very small way. Hospitals will also have electronically locking doors, PICU wards much more so than regular wards. Generally, the only access to the outside world beyond the hospital walls will be through the smoking area, which will always be contained by a very high wall.
The hospitals themselves are very, very boring. There is literally nothing to do save amuse yourself, speak to other patients or watch television. If you're very, very lucky, the hospital may provide activities which you may or not be able to take part in depending on your observation level. You are woken at set times, you eat at set times, you take medication at set times and you will be checked upon at regular intervals depending on what observation level you have been placed upon. Generally - though not in PICU wards, where access is risk-assessed - you have free roam of the hospital, save the staff areas.
You get a daily visiting time, although numbers of visitors are restricted. You will have regular one-to-one time with your named nurse, as well as a consultant psychiatrist, and possibly psychologists, therapists and so on.
I've been on both acute admission wards and PICU wards, and to be honest they are all very similar in set-up and experience, although the possibility of violence towards yourself increases markedly on PICU wards. That said, I have seen violence, sometimes incredibly extreme, towards staff on all wards. Violent patients are always chemically restrained with a 10-2 injection (10mg haloperidol, 2mg lorazepam).
I'm happy to expand on anything I've said or answer any further questions you might have.