Application proceeds
Once the Application has been made by the ASW or Nearest Relative the Application process can proceed.
The nurse in charge should check that the medical recommendation and application have been correctly completed and signed. The patient should then be examined immediately by a doctor on the staff of the hospital. This may be the RMO, another Part II doctor, or any other doctor on the staff of the hospital.
The Medical Recommendation, Form 3 and Application forms, Form 1 or 2, and any other forms, for example Form 4, that have been used in the assessment for admission to hospital process are, and should be treated, as legal documents. These and any reports that follow should be forwarded through arrangements in the receiving Health and Social Care Trust to RQIA. Minor errors may be amended under Article 11 of the Order during the period of 14 days beginning with the date of admission prior to this.
Medical recommendations or reports which do not provide sufficient evidence to warrant detention in hospital for assessment may be disregarded and replaced during this period. However, more serious errors cannot be rectified and may invalidate the entire detention process. These include failure to complete detention forms or reports within the timescales set out in the Order or failure to comply with statutory requirements i.e. failure to interview the patient. LINK TO Appendix Scrutiny and Rectification of Documents