Coronavirus Act 2020

Applications for compulsory admission of patients already in hospital

4 (1) Any registered medical practitioner or approved clinician may furnish a report for the purposes of section 5(2) (detention of patient in hospital pending application for admission) if it appears to the practitioner or clinician that complying with the requirement under that provision for the report to be furnished by the practitioner or clinician in charge of the treatment of the patient is impractical or would involve undesirable delay.

(2) Section 5(2) (period for which patient can be detained following report by practitioner or clinician) has effect in relation to a patient detained after the beginning of any period for which this sub-paragraph has effect as if for “72 hours” there were substituted “120 hours”.

(3) Section 5(4) (period for which patient can be detained pending report by practitioner or clinician) has effect in relation to a patient detained after the beginning of any period for which this sub-paragraph has effect as if for “six hours” there were substituted “12 hours”.