Part 17Patient representation etc.

Chapter 2Advocacy etc.

Information

I1C1C2261Provision of assistance to patient with communication difficulties

1

This section applies where—

a

a patient is detained in hospital by virtue of—

i

this Act; or

ii

the 1995 Act; or

b

though not detained in hospital, a patient is subject to—

i

an emergency detention certificate;

ii

a short-term detention certificate;

iii

a compulsory treatment order;

iv

an interim compulsory treatment order;

v

an assessment order;

vi

a treatment order;

vii

a hospital direction;

viii

a transfer for treatment direction;

ix

an interim compulsion order; or

x

a compulsion order,

and the patient has difficulty in communicating or generally communicates in a language other than English.

2

The appropriate person shall take all reasonable steps to secure that, for the purpose of enabling the patient to communicate during each of the events mentioned in subsection (3) below—

a

arrangements appropriate to the patient’s needs are made; or

b

the patient is provided with assistance, or material, appropriate to the patient’s needs.

3

Those events are—

a

any medical examination of the patient carried out for the purpose of assessing the patient’s mental disorder;

b

any review under this Act or the 1995 Act of the patient’s detention; or

c

any proceedings before the Tribunal relating to the patient.

4

As soon as practicable after taking any steps under subsection (2) above, the appropriate person shall make a written record of the steps.

5

In this section “the appropriate person” has the meaning given by section 260(5) of this Act.