§ Mr. GalbraithI beg to move, in page 25, line 44, to leave out
to examine the patient or".This Amendment should be read with the Amendments in page 25, line 46, and page 26, line 7. Together, they have the effect that, first, the responsible medical officer must always obtain a report on the patient's condition from another medical practitioner before deciding, at the yearly or two-yearly reviews of authority, whether or not a patient's detention in hospital should be continued; secondly, that a copy of the report by the other doctor must go with the responsible medical officer's own report to the board of management and the Mental Welfare Commission in those cases where the responsible medical officer decides to renew the authority for detention.The Amendments in page 26, lines 12, 14 and 20, have a similar effect in relation to the renewal of authority in respect of patients under guardianship. There are then other Amendments altering in a similar way the procedure at the special review at the age of 25, namely, those in page 27, lines 6, 8 and 16.
The requirement regarding the second medical opinion which these Amendments provide for meets an undertaking I gave in Committee and, in a way, this is one of the most radical alterations that we have made in the Bill.
§ Mr. HannanI should like to tell the Joint Under-Secretary of State how reasonable and sensible his speeches are now compared with the speeches he made in Committee. Also, he seems to have great conviction behind his words now in comparison with his approach in Committee.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§
Further Amendments made: In page 25, line 46, at end insert:
and thereafter to assess the need for the detention of the patient to be continued;".
§ In page 26, line 6, leave out "Board" and insert "Commission".
§
In line 7, at end insert:
along with the report first mentioned".
§
In line 12, leave out:
to examine the patient or".
§
In line 14, at end insert:
and thereafter to assess the need for the guardianship of the patient to be continued".
§ In line 19, leave out "Board" and insert "Commission".
§
In line 20, at end insert:
along with the report first mentioned".[Mr. Galbraith.]