231Social circumstances report: mental health officer’s duties
(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, where a relevant event occurs in respect of a patient, the mental health officer shall, before the expiry of the period of 21 days beginning with the day on which the event occurs—
(a)prepare in respect of the patient a social circumstances report; and
(b)send a copy of the report to—
(i)the patient’s responsible medical officer; and
(ii)the Commission.
(2)If in any case the mental health officer considers that a social circumstances report would serve little, or no, practical purpose, the mental health officer—
(a)need not comply with subsection (1) above; but
(b)shall, before the expiry of the period mentioned in that subsection—
(i)record the reasons for deciding that any such report would serve little, or no, practical purpose; and
(ii)send a statement of those reasons to the patient’s responsible medical officer and to the Commission.
(3)In this section, “social circumstances report” means a report setting out such information as may be prescribed by regulations.