The Department of Health has made a Statutory Rule entitled “The Mental Health (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Order 2020”, (S.R. 2020 No. 46), which comes into operation on 30 March 2020.

The purpose of the instrument is to vary the length of the period which must elapse for a second opinion to be required for the continued administration of medicine to detained patients from three to six months.

The instrument is in direct response to staff unavailability as a result of the Coronavirus. The Department of Health is committed to revert the time period after the Coronavirus period.

This Rule may be purchased from the Stationery Office at www.tsoshop.co.uk or by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0333 202 5070, or viewed online at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr