Health (Mental Services) Act, 1981

Form of reception order.

24.—(1) A reception order shall be in the prescribed form and shall provide for the reception, detention and treatment of the person for a period not exceeding 28 days from the date of his admission to the specified psychiatric centre.

(2) The period of validity of a reception order may, in accordance with this section, be extended from time to time by order (in this section referred to as an extension order) signed by two authorised medical practitioners each of whom has separately examined the person and every extension order shall be deemed to form part of the reception order to which it relates.

(3) An extension order shall be made before the expiration of the current period of detention of the person and shall be for a period—

(a) in the case of a first extension, not exceeding 3 months from the date of admission of the person to the centre,

(b) in any other case, not exceeding 12 months from the expiration of the current period of detention.

(4) Where a reception order or extension order is made in respect of a person in any centre the medical officer in charge of the centre shall forthwith inform the person, the applicant for the recommendation for reception and the registered medical practitioners or practitioner who signed the recommendation of that fact, of the reason for the extension and of the right to a review under section 38 .