Health (Mental Services) Act, 1981

Permitted absence.

28.—(1) The medical officer in charge of a psychiatric centre or the authorised medical practitioner with specific responsibility for the care of a particular person detained in the centre may permit the person to be absent from the centre for a period or extended period amounting to less than the unexpired number of days provided for in the current detention order.

(2) Where a person absent under this section does not return on the expiration of the period or the extended period during which he is permitted to be absent and a certificate of any authorised medical practitioner certifying that his detention is no longer necessary is not furnished to the medical officer in charge of the psychiatric centre, he shall be deemed to have absented himself without permission and section 27 shall apply accordingly.

(3) Where a person is permitted to be absent from a centre under this section the permission may be withdrawn at any time by the medical officer in charge of the centre or the authorised medical practitioner with specific responsibility for the care of that person and if the person, on being notified of the withdrawal, does not immediately return to the centre he shall be regarded as having absented himself without permission and section 27 shall apply accordingly.