Commentary Part 1 – Amendments to Mental Health Act 1983 Schedule 1: Categories of mental disorder: further amendments etc Section 6: Appropriate treatment test in Part 4 of 1983 Act
35.Section 6 makes related amendments to what a registered medical practitioner appointed by the Mental Health Act Commission (a Second Opinion Appointed Doctor or SOAD) must certify when giving a certificate under section 57 (treatment requiring consent and a second opinion) and section 58 (treatment requiring consent or a second opinion) of the 1983 Act authorising the giving of certain types of medical treatment for mental disorder.
36.Those sections of the 1983 Act provide procedural safeguards for patients in relation to particular types of treatment. They are summarised in the introductory material to the notes on sections 27 to 31 below.
37.As sections 57 and 58 of the 1983 Act stand, a SOAD must certify that treatment should be given, “having regard to the likelihood of the treatment alleviating or preventing deterioration of the patient’s condition”. The effect of subsection (2) of this section of the 2007 Act is to require SOADs instead to certify that it is appropriate for the treatment to be given. Subsection (3) adds a new subsection to section 64 which explains what it means for treatment to be appropriate in this context. The wording is consistent with that used in the “appropriate medical treatment” test to be added to the criteria for detention under the 1983 Act by sections 4 and 5 above.