Commentary on Sections Section 15 – Identification of the relevant mental health service provider for a relevant patient
26.Care and treatment provision within secondary mental health services is often undertaken by a range of different professionals and via a number of agencies, reflecting the complex and sometimes enduring needs that users of those services may have. This complexity of provision is recognised in the Measure, as section 15 provides a mechanism for identifying the provider with the duty to appoint a care coordinator, as follows:
	where an LHB, and only an LHB, is responsible for providing services they will be the relevant service provider with the duty to appoint the care coordinator;
	where a local authority, and only a local authority, is responsible for providing services, or where the patient is under the guardianship of a local authority and not also receiving secondary mental health services from an LHB, the local authority will be the relevant service provider;
	where both the LHB and the local authority are responsible for providing services, regulations will set out the mechanism for identifying the relevant service provider.