A CTO is a ‘community treatment order’. It is an order that can be imposed when you are discharged from your section and are about to leave hospital having been detained under s3 or 37. It is an alternative to straightforward discharge.
The effect of a CTO is that you can be required to comply with certain conditions after you leave hospital, and you remain liable to recall to hospital in the future if you are assessed as needing further in-patient treatment.
Your responsible clinician will tell you if s/he is thinking of imposing a CTO when discharging you, but a CTO cannot be imposed unless there is evidence to show that there is a need for you to be liable to recall to hospital.
A CTO lasts initially for up to 6 months. It can then be renewed for a further 6 months, and then for periods of 12 months after that. You can be discharged by your responsible clinician at any time during the CTO. You can also be discharged by your nearest relative, by hospital managers, or by a Mental Health Tribunal.
You cannot be required to take medication if you are on a CTO – even if it is a condition of the CTO. However, if you don’t take medication as prescribed, you are at risk of recall to hospital.