We are having a discussion regrading second professional and who the RC consults with and wondered if anyone has come across General Nurses acting as second professional in a medium secure hospital.
the Jones states
a person from another profession who has been professionally concerned with the patients treatment that states that she agrees that the conditions of renewal are satisfied
it goes on to say that the second professional should:
- have sufficient experience and expertise to decide whether the patient’s continued detention is necessary and lawful, but need not be approved clinicians (or qualified to be one)
- have been actively involved in the planning, management or delivery of the patient’s treatment, and
- have had sufficient recent contact with the patient to be able to make an informed judgement about the patient’s case.
it is not sufficient for the consultee merely to be working on the ward where the patient is being treated; a particular involvement with the patient’s treatment is required
the act is silent in section 20 in terms of whether different rules apply in secure settings
We do have staff nurses (named nurses or nurse in charge of CTP) completing the HO15 in Medium secure settings but more often than not it is a forensic social worker who is the second professional
Do you have a mix of RGN among these staff nurses who complete your renewal forms ?
mostly RMN but occasionally RGN