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12 Separation of younger from older patients.N.I.

(1)[F1Each authorised HSC trust] shall use its best endeavours to secure that, so far as practicable, in any hospital for which it is responsible a person who is suffering from a condition of chronic illness or disability and who—

(a)is in the hospital for the purpose of long-term care for that condition; or

(b)normally resides elsewhere but is being cared for in the hospital because—

(i)that condition is such as to preclude him from residing elsewhere without the assistance of some other person; and

(ii)such assistance is for the time being not available,

is not cared for in the hospital as an in-patient in any part of the hospital which is normally used wholly or mainly for the care of elderly persons, unless he is himself an elderly person.

(2)The Head of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland shall in each year lay before the Northern Ireland Assembly a statement in such form as he considers appropriate of information as to any persons to whom subsection (1) of this section applies who, not being elderly persons, have been cared for in any hospital for which [F2any authorised HSC trust] is responsible in such a part of the hospital as is mentioned in that subsection.

(3)In this section “elderly person” means a person who is aged sixty-five or more or is suffering from the effects of premature ageing.

[F3(4)In this section “authorised HSC trust” has the same meaning as in section 1.]