Section 145: Interpretation.

Mental Health Act 1983 · 1983 c. 20View on legislation.gov.uk

Part X: Miscellaneous and Supplementary

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

  • "absent without leave" has the meaning given to it by section 18 above and related expressions (including expressions relating to a patient's liability to be returned to a hospital or other place) shall be construed accordingly;

  • "application for admission for assessment" has the meaning given in section 2 above;

  • "application for admission for treatment" has the meaning given in section 3 above;

  • "the appropriate tribunal" has the meaning given by section 66(4) above;

  • "approved clinician" means a person approved by the Secretary of State or another person by virtue of section 12ZA or 12ZB above (in relation to England) or by the Welsh Ministers (in relation to Wales) to act as an approved clinician for the purposes of this Act;

  • "approved mental health professional" has the meaning given in section 114 above;

  • "care home"—has the same meaning as in the Care Standards Act 2000 in respect of a care home in England; andmeans a place in Wales at which a care home service within the meaning of Part 1 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 is provided wholly or mainly to persons aged 18 or over;

  • "community patient" has the meaning given in section 17A above;

  • "community treatment order" and "the community treatment order" have the meanings given in section 17A above;

  • "the community treatment period" has the meaning given in section 20A above;

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  • "high security psychiatric services" has the same meaning as in the section 4 of the National Health Service Act 2006 or section 4 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006,

  • "hospital" means—any health service hospital within the meaning of the National Health Service Act 2006 or the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006; andany accommodation provided by a local authority and used as a hospital by or on behalf of the Secretary of State under that Act;; andany hospital as defined by section 206 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 which is vested in a Local Health Board;

  • "hospital within the meaning of Part II of this Act" has the meaning given in section 34 above;

  • "hospital direction" has the meaning given in section 45A(3)(a) above;

  • "hospital order" and "guardianship order" have the meanings respectively given in section 37 above;

  • "independent hospital"—

    ((a)) in relation to England, means a hospital as defined by section 275 of the National Health Service Act 2006 that is not a health service hospital as defined by that section, and

    ((b)) in relation to Wales, has the same meaning as in the Care Standards Act 2000;

  • "interim hospital order" has the meaning given in section 38 above;

  • "limitation direction" has the meaning given in section 45A(3)(b) above;

  • "Local Health Board" means a Local Health Board established under section 11 of the National Health Services (Wales) Act 2006;

  • "local social services authority" means—

    ((a)) an authority in England which is a local authority for the purposes of Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, or

    ((b)) an authority in Wales which is a local authority for the purposes of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

  • "the managers" means—

    ((a)) in relation to a hospital vested in the Secretary of State for the purposes of his functions under the the National Health Service Act 2006, or in the Welsh Ministers for the purposes of their functions under the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006,, and in relation to any accommodation provided by a local authority and used as a hospital by or on behalf of the Secretary of State under the National Health Service Act 2006, or of the Welsh Ministers under the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006, the Secretary of State where the Secretary is responsible for the administration of the hospital orthe ... ... Local Health Board or Special Health Authority responsible for the administration of the hospital;

    ((b)) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    ((bb)) in relation to a hospital vested in ... a National Health Service trust,... the trust

    ((bc)) in relation to a hospital vested in an NHS foundation trust, the trust;

    ((bd)) in relation to a hospital vested in a Local Health Board, the Board;

    ((c)) in relation to a registered establishment—

  • and in this definition "hospital" means a hospital within the meaning of Part II of this Act;

  • "medical treatment" includes nursing, psychological intervention and specialist mental health habilitation, rehabilitation and care (but see also subsection (4) below);

  • "mental disorder" has the meaning given in section 1 above (subject to section 86(4));

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  • "nearest relative", in relation to a patient, has the meaning given in Part II of this Act;

  • "patient"... means a person suffering or appearing to be suffering from mental disorder;

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  • "registered establishment" has the meaning given in section 34 above;

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  • "the regulatory authority" means—

    (a)in relation to England, the Care Quality Commission;

    (b)in relation to Wales, the Welsh Ministers;

  • "the responsible hospital" has the meaning given in section 17A above;

  • "restriction direction" has the meaning given to it by section 49 above;

  • "restriction order" has the meaning given to it by section 41 above;

  • "Special Health Authority" means a Special Health Authority established under section 28 of the National Health Service Act 2006, or section 22 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006;

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  • "transfer direction" has the meaning given to it by section 47 above.

Where high security psychiatric services and other services are provided at a hospital, the part of the hospital at which high security psychiatric services are provided and the other part shall be treated as separate hospitals for the purposes of this Act.

References in this Act to appropriate medical treatment shall be construed in accordance with section 3(4) above.

References in this Act to an approved mental health professional shall be construed as references to an approved mental health professional acting on behalf of a local social services authority, unless the context otherwise requires.

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In relation to a person who is liable to be detained or subject to guardianship or a community patient by virtue of an order or direction under Part III of this Act (other than under section 35, 36 or 38), any reference in this Act to any enactment contained in Part II of this Act or in section 66 or 67 above shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as it applies to that person by virtue of Part III of this Act.

Any reference in this Act to medical treatment, in relation to mental disorder, shall be construed as a reference to medical treatment the purpose of which is to alleviate, or prevent a worsening of, the disorder or one or more of its symptoms or manifestations.

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