PART 2LACK OF CAPACITY: PROTECTION FROM LIABILITY, AND SAFEGUARDS

CHAPTER 9DEFINITIONS FOR PURPOSES OF PART 2

Meaning of “serious intervention”

63“Serious intervention”

(1)

In this Part “serious intervention” means an intervention in connection with the care, treatment or personal welfare of P which (or any part of which)—

(a)

consists of or involves major surgery;

(b)

causes P serious pain, serious distress, or serious side-effects;

(c)

affects seriously the options that will be available to P in the future, or has a serious impact on P's day-to-day life; or

(d)

in any other way has serious consequences for P, whether physical or non-physical.

(2)

Without prejudice to subsection (1), and to avoid any doubt, each of the following is a serious intervention for the purposes of this Part—

(a)

any deprivation of liberty;

(b)

the imposition of a requirement mentioned in section 28(1)(a) (requirements to attend at particular times or intervals for certain treatment);

(c)

the imposition of a community residence requirement (see section 31).

(3)

Regulations may provide that a prescribed intervention (except one mentioned in subsection (2))—

(a)

is to be regarded as an intervention falling within a particular paragraph of subsection (1); or

(b)

is not to be regarded as such an intervention.

(4)

If—

(a)

the act mentioned in section 9(1) is, or is part of, an intervention which turns out to be a serious intervention, but

(b)

at the time the act is done D reasonably believes that the risk that the intervention will turn out to be a serious intervention is negligible,

that act is to be treated for the purposes of this Part as if the intervention were not a serious intervention.