Mental health – after-care – relevant authority – assessment
For the purposes of s117 Mental Health Act 1983 (duty to provide after-care), the relevant health and social services authorities were those for the area where the patient was ordinarily resident at the time of his detention, unless he had no place of residence. In the latter case, the relevant authorities would be those of the area where the patient was sent on discharge, but the placing authority where the patient resided did not cease to be the appropriate local social services authority by virtue of the fact that he was sent to a different authority on discharge.
The s117 duty, which arose before the patient’s discharge, extended to making a full multi-disciplinary assessment before the tribunal hearing.