The Mental Health (Correspondence of Patients, Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services) Regulations 2003

Made11th August 2003

Laid before Parliament11th August 2003

Coming into force1st September 2003

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 134(3A)(a) of the Mental Health Act 19831 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:—

Citation, commencement and application1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Mental Health (Correspondence of Patients, Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 1st September 2003.

2

These Regulations apply to England only.

Patient advocacy and liaison service2

In section 134 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (correspondence of patients), for the purposes of subsection (3)(ea)2, “patient advocacy and liaison service” means a service affording assistance in the form of advice and liaison for patients, their families and carers provided by—

a

an NHS trust3; or

b

a Primary Care Trust4.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

WarnerParliamentary Under Secretary of State,Department of Health11th August 2003

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision to define a “patient advocacy and liaison service” for the purposes of section 134(3)(ea) of the Mental Health Act 1983. Section 134 concerns circumstances in which correspondence of patients may be withheld; correspondence with such a service is exempted.