Central Mental Hospital signs first conditional discharge

THE first ever order for a conditional discharge from the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) has been signed under new legislation which allows for the recall of patients if strict rules are breached.

The new law is an amendment to the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006 and provides the Mental Health Review Board, which makes decisions on freeing patients referred by the courts, with the crucial option to discharge them with conditions attached.

Since the board was set up in 2006, it has only ordered two discharges: