New Clause 18
Mental Health Bill [Lords]
6:00 pm
Local arrangements for assessment, conveyance and admission of urgent cases
‘In the 1983 Act, for Section 140 (Notification of hospitals) substitute—
“140 Local arrangements for assessment, conveyance and admission of urgent cases
(1) It shall be the duty of every Primary Care Trust, in conjunction with—
(a) the NHS Trusts contracted to provide in-patient mental health services and ambulance services within its area,
(b) the police authority or authorities within its area, and
(c) the local social services authority or authorities within its area,
to prepare, publish and maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date scheme for the safe, timely and effective management of the cases of patients within its area who may require urgent admission to hospital for treatment for mental disorder, whether under this Act or otherwise.
(2) This scheme shall include details of—
(a) the arrangements for the assessment of urgent cases and for ensuring the safety of the patient, carers, those carrying out the assessment and any other persons present during the assessment,
(b) the arrangements for obtaining a bed, if required, and the criteria for determining the relative priority of urgent cases awaiting admission,
(c) the arrangements for ensuring safe custody and conveyance of patients who need to be admitted to hospital under Section 6(1) of this Act,
(d) agreed time-limits for response by the bodies listed in 1 (a-c) above in cases of urgency where there is a serious risk to the safety of the patient or others.’”.—[Ann Coffey.]