This section provides the Crown Court with the power to make a hospital direction where a person is convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment, other than an offence for which the sentence is fixed by law. A court of summary jurisdiction also has the power to make a hospital direction where a person is convicted of an offence punishable on summary conviction with imprisonment. Therefore, if the court, having considered the other available ways of dealing with the offender, decides to impose a custodial sentence and the conditions set out in section 175 are met, it may direct that the person, instead of being removed to and detained in prison, is instead removed to and detained in a specified hospital.
The section also provides that a hospital direction has effect not only in respect of the custodial sentence in respect of which the direction was made, but also any other custodial sentence imposed on the same or previous occasion.