The Act – Overview Medical examinations Section 33 Application to have person medically examined
61.This section deals with applications to the sheriff for orders to have a person medically examined. A health board may make such an application where it knows or suspects that a person in its area has an infectious disease; has been exposed to an infectious organism which causes such a disease; is contaminated or has been exposed to a contaminant and it appears to the health board that as a result there is, or may be, a significant risk to public health and it is necessary, to avoid or minimise that risk, for the person to be medically examined.
62.Subsection (3) outlines the matters which need to be specified in the application to the sheriff which include the nature of the examination the health board proposes to be carried out, why the health board considers it necessary, who will carry out the examination and whether an explanation has been provided. All applications must include a certificate from a health board competent person that the criteria set out in subsection (1) have been met.