Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

Part 1Preliminary

1.—(1) In this Schedule—

“the criteria for authorisation” has the meaning given by paragraph 2(3);

“the responsible medical practitioner”, in relation to a person who is an in-patient in a hospital, means the medical practitioner who is in charge of the person’s care in the hospital (see also sub-paragraphs (2) and (3)).

(2) Regulations may provide that the medical practitioner in charge of a person’s care in a hospital may carry out prescribed functions of the responsible medical practitioner under this Schedule only if prescribed conditions are met.

(3) A condition that may be prescribed under sub-paragraph (2) is that the practitioner is approved by RQIA for prescribed purposes.

(4) For the purposes of this Schedule a report is made when the completed report is signed by the person making it.

(5) Where a report under paragraph 2 is made in respect of a person who is already an in-patient in the hospital specified in the report, the person is to be treated for the purposes of this Schedule as if admitted to the hospital at the time the report was made.