Mental Health Act 1983

34Interpretation of Part II

(1)In this Part of this Act—

• " the nominated medical attendant", in relation to a patient who is subject to the guardianship of a person other than a local social services authority, means the person appointed in pursuance of regulations made under section 9(2) above to act as the medical attendant of the patient;

• " the responsible medical officer " means—

  (a)

  in relation to a patient liable to be detained by virtue of an application for admission for assess-merit or an application for admission for treatment, the registered medical practitioner in charge of the treatment of the patient;

  (b)

  in relation to a patient subject to guardianship, the medical officer authorised by the local social services authority to act (either generally or in any particular case or for any particular purpose) as the responsible medical officer.

(2)Except where otherwise expressly provided, this Part of this Act applies in relation to a mental nursing home, being a home in respect of which the particulars of registration are for the time being entered in the separate part of the register kept for the purposes of section 3 (4)(b) of the [1975 c. 37.] Nursing Homes Act 1975, as it applies in relation to a hospital, and references in this Part of this Act to a hospital, and any reference in this Act to a hospital to which this Part of this Act applies, shall be construed accordingly.

(3)In relation to a patient who is subject to guardianship in pursuance of a guardianship application, any reference in this Part of this Act to the responsible local social services authority is a reference—

(a)where the patient is subject to the guardianship of a local social services authority, to that authority ;

(b)where the patient is subject to the guardianship of a person other than a local social services authority, to the local social services authority for the area in which that person resides.