Northern Territory Numbered Acts

HEALTH CARE DECISION MAKING ACT 2023 (NO 19 OF 2023)

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1--PRELIMINARY MATTERS

   1.      Short title  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Purposes of Act  
   4.      Definitions  
   5.      Presumption of capacity to make health care decisions  
   6.      Meaning of health care  
   7.      Meaning of health care decision  
   8.      Meaning of impaired decision making capacity  
   9.      Meaning of willing and able  
   10.     Application of Criminal Code  

   PART 2--HEALTH CARE DECISION MAKERS

   11.     Authority of health care decision maker  
   12.     Scope of health care decisions  
   13.     Hierarchy of health care decision makers  
   14.     Appropriate health care decision maker  
   15.     Multiple appointees  
   16.     Relinquishing authority  
   17.     Support to adult in making health care decision  
   18.     Decision making principles  
   19.     Advance consent decision  
   20.     Exemptions  
   21.     Benefit to third party  
   22.     Role of Public Guardian  

   PART 3--ADMINISTERING HEALTH CARE

   23.     Initial responsibilities of health care provider  
   24.     Determination of capacity  
   25.     Routine health care  
   26.     Palliative care  
   27.     Relief from pain and distress  
   28.     Cosmetic surgery and other treatments  
   29.     Role of health care decision makers regarding "restrictive practices"  
   30.     Restricted health care  
   31.     Reliance on health care decision makers and others  
   32.     Reliance on consent of adult with unknown impaired decision making capacity  
   33.     Other responsibilities of health care provider  
   34.     Unnecessary health care  
   35.     Deemed unprofessional conduct  
   36.     Other laws allowing health care without consent not affected  
   37.     Other rights preserved  

   PART 4--URGENT HEALTH CARE

   38.     Application  
   39.     Urgent health care without consent  

   PART 5--NTCAT

   40.     Application to NTCAT  
   41.     Orders by NTCAT  
   42.     Parties  
   43.     Closed proceedings  
   44.     Oral reasons and findings of fact  
   45.     No internal review  

   PART 6--OFFENCES

   46.     Disclosure of identity information  
   47.     False representation  
   48.     Misleading information  
   49.     Improper exercise of authority  
   50.     Acting without authority  
   51.     Contravention of decision making principles  
   52.     Inducing contravention of decision making principles  
   53.     Limitation period for prosecutions  

   PART 7--ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER MATTERS

   54.     Senior Practitioner directives and approvals  
   55.     Public Guardian guidelines  
   56.     Report to Public Guardian  
   57.     Liability of health care providers  
   58.     Regulations  

   PART 8--REPEAL

   59.     Act repealed  

   PART 9--CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

           Division 1--Advance personal planning legislation

              Subdivision 1--Advance Personal Planning Act 2013

   60.     Act amended  
   61.     Long title amended  
   62.     Section 3 amended (definitions)  
   63.     Section 5 amended (Meaning of reasonably believes )  
   64.     Section 6 amended (Decision-making capacity and impaired decision-making capacity)  
   65.     Sections 6A and 6B inserted  
   66.     Section 8 amended (Adult may make advance personal plan)  
   67.     Section 20 amended (Authority of decision maker)  
   68.     Section 21 amended (Exercise of authority by decision maker)  
   69.     Sections 22 and 23 replaced  
   70.     Section 25 repealed (Restricted health matters)  
   71.     Part 4, Division 1 heading omitted  
   72.     Section 39A repealed (Guardian having authority prima facie evidence of adult's lack of capacity)  
   73.     Part 4, Divisions 2, 3 and 4 repealed  
   74.     Sections 63 and 64 repealed  
   75.     Part 8, Division 4 inserted  

              Subdivision 2--Advance Personal Planning Regulations 2014

   76.     Regulations amended  
   77.     Regulation 4 repealed (Restricted health matters)  
   78.     Regulation 9 amended (Exercise of rights and powers under recognised interstate documents)  

           Division 2--Guardianship of adults legislation

              Subdivision 1--Guardianship of Adults Act 2016

   79.     Act amended  
   80.     Section 3 amended (Definitions)  
   81.     Section 4 amended (Guardianship principles)  
   82.     Section 5 amended  
   83.     Sections 5A and 5B inserted  
   84.     Section 8 repeal (Meaning of restricted health care )  
   85.     Section 23 replaced  
   86.     Part 8, Division 4 inserted  

              Subdivision 2--Guardianship of Adults Regulations 2016

   87.     Regulations amended  
   88.     Regulation 3 repealed (Restricted health care)  

           Division 3--Mental Health and Related Services Act 1998

   89.     Act amended  
   90.     Section 4 amended (Definitions)  
   91.     Section 25 amended (Voluntary admission)  
   92.     Section 54 amended (Treatment after voluntary admission)  
   93.     Section 63 amended (Non-psychiatric treatment)  
   94.     Section 64 amended (Major medical procedure)  
   95.     Section 66 amended (Electroconvulsive therapy)  
   96.     Section 80A amended (Voluntary admission of prisoner)  
   97.     Section 91 amended (Disclosure of information)  
   98.     Section 92 amended (Access to records)  
   99.     Section 94 amended (Inclusion of written comments into records)  
   100.    Section 99 amended (Withholding of certain correspondence)  

           Division 4--Powers of Attorney Act 1980

   101.    Act amended  
   102.    Section 15A amended (Exercise of power)  

           Division 5--Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979

   103.    Act amended  
   104.    Section 8 amended (Consent by adult living donor to removal of tissue)  
   105.    Section 10 amended (Certificate of medical practitioner)  
   106.    Section 11 amended (When consent authorises removal of tissue)  
   107.    Section 14 amended (Consent to removal of blood)  
   108.    Section 16 amended (How consent is revoked)  
   109.    Section 26 amended (Act does not prevent specified removals of tissue etc.)  

           Division 6--Repeal of Part

   110.    Repeal of Part