{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-northern-ireland-order-1986/article-117",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-northern-ireland-order-1986/article-117.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1986/595",
  "legislation_title": "The Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/mental-health-northern-ireland-order-1986",
  "path": "article/117",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "117",
  "heading": "Duty of responsible authorities to inform nearest relative of discharge of patient",
  "text": "(1) Where a patient liable to be detained under this Order in a hospital is to be discharged, otherwise than by virtue of an order for discharge under Article 14(1) made by his nearest relative, the responsible authority shall, subject to paragraph (2), take such steps as are practicable to inform the nearest relative of the patient; and that information shall, if practicable, be given at least 7 days before the date of discharge.\n(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply if the patient or his nearest relative has requested that information about the patient's discharge should not be given under this Article.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "1994 NI 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in art. 117 heading substituted (1.4.2022) by Health and Social Care Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (c. 3), s. 8(1)(b), Sch. 1 para. 95; S.R. 2022/102, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Art. 117 applied (31.3.2013) by Mental Health (Private Hospitals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. 2013/22), regs. 1, 3(7)(c), 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Art. 117 applied (31.3.2013) by Mental Health (Private Hospitals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (S.R. 2012/403), regs. 1, 3(7)(c), 4"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1986/595/article/117",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:48:38.738443+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}