Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

Co-operation and assistance

30 Co-operation with Health Boards and others

(1) In providing services for a person under any of sections 25 to 27 of this Act, a local authority shall co-operate with any—

(a) Health Boards;

(b) Special Health Boards;

(c) National Health Service trusts; or

(d) voluntary organisations,

that appear to the authority to have an interest, power or duty mentioned in subsection (2) below.

(2) Such an interest, power or duty is—

(a) an interest in the provision of services by the local authority under any of sections 25 to 27 of this Act; or

(b) a power or duty to provide or secure the provision of services, or an interest in the provision of services,

for the person.

31 Assistance from Health Boards and others

(1) Where it appears to a local authority that the assistance of a Health Board, a Special Health Board or a National Health Service trust—

(a) is necessary to enable the authority to perform any of their duties under section 25 or 26 of this Act; or

(b) would help the authority to perform any of those duties,

the authority may request the Health Board, Special Health Board or National Health Service trust to co-operate by providing the assistance specified in the request.

(2) A Health Board, a Special Health Board or a National Health Service trust receiving a request under subsection (1) above shall, if complying with the request—

(a) would be compatible with the discharge of its own functions (whether under any enactment or otherwise); and

(b) would not prejudice unduly the discharge by it of any of those functions,

comply with the request.

(3) This section is without prejudice to section 21 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 36) (which enables a local authority to require assistance from a Health Board, a National Health Service trust or others in the exercise of the authority’s functions under Part II of that Act).