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Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction - Assessment

26: Information to be given to patient and others

You could also call this:

"People helping you with substance addiction must tell you and others about your rights and give you important information."

Illustration for Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

When you are a patient who needs help with a substance addiction, the Area Director must tell you and others about your rights. You will get a copy of the compulsory treatment certificate and a written statement about your rights under this Act. The written statement must be in a form approved by the Director-General of Health.

The Area Director must give this information to you, the person who asked for your treatment, your principal caregiver, and your welfare guardian if you have one. They must also tell your nominated person, your doctor, the district inspector, and anyone who is a guardian of your child.

The Area Director must explain your rights to you in person, and if you do not speak English well, they must explain it in a language you understand.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6609167.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Mental healthHealth and wellbeing > Public healthRights and equality > Privacy
Previous

25: Approved specialist to notify Area Director and arrange patient’s detention, or

"Doctor arranges help and care for you at a health facility if you need compulsory treatment."

Next

27: If compulsory treatment certificate not signed, advice must be given, or

"If a doctor says you don't need compulsory treatment, they must give you or your caregiver advice on what to do next."

Part 2Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction
Assessment

26Information to be given to patient and others

  1. As soon as practicable after the Area Director is notified under section 25 of the identity of a patient, the Area Director must arrange for each person specified in subsection (2) to be given—

  2. a copy of the compulsory treatment certificate; and
    1. a written statement of the patient’s rights and other entitlements under this Act.

      1. The persons referred to in subsection (1) are—

      2. the patient:
        1. the applicant:
          1. the patient’s principal caregiver:
            1. the patient’s welfare guardian (if the court has appointed one):
              1. the patient’s nominated person (if the patient has nominated one):
                1. the medical practitioner who usually attends the patient:
                  1. the district inspector:
                    1. any person who is a guardian of a child of the patient.

                      1. The written statement must be in a form approved by the Director-General of Health.

                      2. The Area Director must also arrange for an oral explanation of the patient’s rights and other entitlements to be given to the patient.

                      3. The Area Director must, if the patient is unable to communicate adequately in English but is able to communicate adequately in another language, arrange for the oral explanation to be given in the other language.