CTO Renewal — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

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ModerateMental Health LawCTO RenewalMRCPsych Paper B

In England, a patient has been subject to a community treatment order (CTO) for its initial six-month community treatment period. The responsible clinician decides that the CTO should be extended. For how long is the first extension period?

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Correct answer: B — 6 months

The correct answer is B: 6 months. Under section 20A of the Mental Health Act 1983, a CTO has an initial community treatment period of six months. Its first extension is for a further six months. Thereafter, each extension period is one year. Therefore, 12 months applies only after the first extension. Twenty-eight days and three months are not statutory CTO extension periods, and a two-year extension is not permitted. The original key was correct, but the item is clarified by specifying England and using the statutory term “extension” rather than “renewal.”

Reference: Mental Health Act 2007, section 32 inserting section 20A (Community treatment period) into the Mental Health Act 1983, 2007. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/12/pdfs/ukpga_20070012_en.pdf