Continuation of care (including aftercare)

Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 places duties on both health and local social services to provide (free) aftercare services to people detained under Sections 3, 37, 47 or 48 of the Act until they are satisfied that the person is no longer in need of them. Recent court rulings have confirmed that there is no power to charge people for services under Section.117. In the Mental Health Act 1983 "aftercare services" are not defined but it tends to be those provided by health and social services for the purposes of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990.