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Detention and isolation of person who is probable source of infection.
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38.—(1) Where a chief medical officer is of opinion, either consequent on his own inspection of a person in the area for which such medical officer acts or consequent upon information furnished to him by a registered medical practitioner who has inspected such person, that such person is a probable source of infection with an infectious disease and that his isolation is necessary as a safeguard against the spread of infection, and that such person cannot be effectively isolated in his home, such medical officer may order in writing the detention and isolation of such person in a specified hospital or other place until such medical officer gives a certificate (for which no charge shall be made) that such person is no longer a probable source of infection.
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(2) Where an order is made under this section in relation to a person (in this subsection referred to as the patient), the following provisions shall have effect:—
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(a) the medical officer who made the order (in this subsection referred to as the committing officer) shall forthwith send a copy of the order to the Minister and to the health authority for which he acts,
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(b) the committing officer, and also any other person, to whom the duty of acting under this section has been assigned by or with the consent of the Minister and who has been authorised in writing by the committing officer to act in the particular case, may detain the patient,
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(c) the person detaining the patient shall, on or before doing so—
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(i) produce for inspection by the appropriate person his written authorisation from the committing officer if he is not himself the committing officer, and
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(ii) give to the appropriate person a copy of the order and a statement in writing of the right of appeal under paragraph (h) of this subsection,
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(d) if the patient, when detained, is outside the area for which the committing officer acts, the committing officer may, with the consent of the chief medical officer of the area in which the patient is detained, amend the order to allow for the patient's isolation in a hospital or other place convenient to the place where he is detained and the order as so amended shall have effect accordingly,
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(e) where the committing officer amends the order, he shall forthwith send a copy of the order as amended to the Minister and to the health authority for which he acts and to the health authority of the area in which the patient is detained and to the appropriate person,
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(f) after the patient is detained, he shall be taken to the hospital or other place specified in the order and shall, subject to the provisions of this subsection, be there detained and isolated until the committing officer certifies that he is no longer a probable source of infection,
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(g) the person in charge of such hospital or other place shall afford to the committing officer all reasonable facilities for visiting such hospital or other place and examining the patient therein,
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(h) the patient (or the parent of the patient, where the patient is a child) may at any time appeal to the Minister in writing to direct the release of the patient,
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(i) the person in charge of such hospital or other place shall afford all reasonable facilities for the purposes of any appeal under paragraph (h) of this subsection, including where appropriate facilities for the inspection of any reports and records relating to the patient and available in such hospital or other place and the provision of copies of any such reports or records,
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(j) on receipt of an appeal under paragraph (h) of this subsection, the Minister shall give notice in writing of the date on which such appeal was received by him to the person making the appeal and to the person in charge of such hospital or other place,
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(k) if no determination of an appeal under paragraph (h) of this subsection is made by the Minister and communicated to the person charge of such hospital or other place within twenty-one clear days from the receipt by the Minister of such appeal, such person shall release the patient and notify the committing officer of such release and if necessary arrange for conveyance of the patient to his usual place of residence,
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(l) if at any time the Minister directs the release of the patient, he shall be released by the person in charge of such hospital or other place in accordance with the direction, and such person shall, if necessary, arrange for his conveyance to his usual place of residence,
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(m) where an appeal is made under paragraph (h) of this subsection the Minister shall cause one of his medical officers to examine the patient and report the result of such examination,
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(i) as soon as practicable after the appeal is received by the Minister, and
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(ii) at intervals thereafter not exceeding six weeks during the detention,
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(n) the person in charge of such hospital or other place shall provide all reasonable facilities for an examination under paragraph (m) of this subsection,
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(o) force may, if necessary, be used for the purpose of carrying out any provision of this subsection.
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(3) In this section the expression “the appropriate person” means in relation to a patient—
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(a) where the patient appears to be under sixteen years of age and his parent can be ascertained and reached within a time which is reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the case—his parent,
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(b) where the patient appears to be under sixteen years of age and his parent cannot be ascertained and reached within a time which is reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the case—the person for the time being in charge of the patient,
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(c) where the patient, being an adult person, is for any reason unable to act for himself—the person for the time being in charge of the patient,
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(d) in any other case—the patient himself.
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(4) A person to whom an order under this section relates who—
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(a) resists being detained under this section or resists being brought under this section to the hospital or other place specified in the order, or
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(b) wilfully misbehaves while detained in such hospital or other place,
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(c) escapes or attempts to escape from detention under this section, or
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(d) does not submit himself in a peaceful and orderly manner to the exercise of any power conferred by this section,
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shall be guilty of an offence under this section.
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(5) A person who—
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(a) prevents or attempts to prevent the detention under this section of any person or the bringing under this section of any person to a hospital or other place for detention and isolation, or
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(b) assists in an escape or an attempted escape of any person from detention and isolation under this section, or
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(c) obstructs or interferes with the exercise of any power conferred by this section,
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shall be guilty of an offence under this section.
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(6) A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall, on summary conviction thereof, be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds or, at the discretion of the Court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
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(7) The cost of the maintenance and treatment of a person to whom an order under this section relates in the hospital or other place mentioned in the order (including the cost of anything done under paragraph (f), (k) or (l) of subsection (2) of this section) shall be paid by the health authority for which the medical officer who made the order acts.
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