Coronavirus Act 2020

Applications for compulsory admission to hospital for assessment or treatment

3 (1) An application by an approved mental health professional under section 2 or 3 made during a period for which this paragraph has effect may be founded on a recommendation by a single registered medical practitioner (a “single recommendation”), if the professional considers that compliance with the requirement under that section for the recommendations of two practitioners is impractical or would involve undesirable delay.

(2) A single recommendation must otherwise comply with the requirements of section 2(3) or 3(3).

(3) An application founded on a single recommendation must include a statement of the opinion referred to in sub-paragraph (1).

(4) An emergency application under section 4 may not be founded on a single recommendation (but this does not limit section 4(3)).

(5) Section 11(7) (applications may be founded on separate or joint recommendations) does not apply to an application founded on a single recommendation.

(6) Section 12(1) has effect as if it required a single recommendation to be signed on or before the date of the application, and to be given by a practitioner who has personally examined the patient.

(7) Section 12(2) has effect as if it required a single recommendation to be given by a practitioner approved for the purposes of that section by the Secretary of State as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorder (or by a person treated as so approved by virtue of section 12(2A)).

(8) Section 12(1) and (2) do not otherwise apply to a single recommendation (and accordingly there is no requirement for the practitioner giving the recommendation to have previous acquaintance with the patient).

(9) A single recommendation is subject to section 15(2) (except paragraph (b)) in the same way as one of two recommendations (and section 15(3) does not apply to it).