Community Treatment Order (CTO)

A community treatment order (CTO) is part 17A of the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007 revision). A CTO allows a person to leave hospital and be treated safely in the community rather than hospital. A CTO means that the person has to keep to certain conditions in the community. An example of a condition could be where the person has to take their medication. A responsible clinician (usually a Clinical Psychiatrist) will decide in consultation with the person and members of a multidisciplinary team what the conditions should be and how they will be reviewed and monitored. If the person does not adhere to the conditions they can be returned to hospital.