Community Treatment Order (CTO)
Definition
A legal order under the Mental Health Act 1983 (England and Wales) requiring a patient discharged from hospital to adhere to specified treatment conditions in the community; breach can trigger recall to hospital.
- Abbreviation
- CTO
- Legal basis
- Mental Health Act 1983 (England and Wales)
- Applies after
- Discharge from detained hospital treatment
- Breach consequence
- Recall to hospital
Common questions
Who has the authority to place a patient on a CTO?+
The responsible clinician makes the decision, with the agreement of an approved mental health professional, and the order sets conditions such as taking prescribed medication, attending appointments, or residing at a specified address that the patient must follow while living in the community.
Does a CTO apply only to patients involved in criminal proceedings?+
No. It is a civil mental health power available to any eligible patient discharged from detention under the Act, not only forensic patients, though it is frequently used in the aftermath of mentally disordered offender cases to manage risk after hospital discharge.
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