Skip to main content
Guidance

Mental Health Act: exercise of approval instructions 2015

Instructions for approving doctors and clinicians under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Updates to this page

From:
Department of Health and Social Care
Published:
22 April 2013
Last updated:
25 March 2021
Show all updates

  1. Updated to replace the 2 'Mental Health Act: supplementary instructions' documents as these were temporary instructions. Online training courses are now widely available and the temporary arrangements are no longer required and will end from 1 April.

  2. Added 2 attachments about the Mental Health Act: 'Supplementary instructions with respect to the exercise of an approval function in relations to approved clinicians 2020' and 'Supplementary instructions with respect to the exercise of an approval function in relation to section 12 doctors 2020'.

  3. Added Guidance for Seeking Approved Clinician Status via the Portfolio Route.

  4. Added revised instructions for the approval of doctors and approved clinicians under section 12ZA of the Mental Health Act 1983

  5. Update: the 2014 exercise of approval functions replaces the 2013 documents previously on this page.

  6. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Mental Health Act: Instructions with Respect to the Exercise of an Approval Function in Relation to Approved Clinicians 2015

PDF, 289 KB, 9 pages

Mental Health Act: Instructions with Respect to the Exercise of an Approval Function in Relation to Section 12 Doctors 2015

PDF, 295 KB, 9 pages

Guidance for Seeking Approved Clinician Status via the Portfolio Route

PDF, 258 KB, 31 pages

Mental Health Act: revocation of supplementary instructions with respect to the exercise of an approval function in relation to approved clinicians 2020

PDF, 27.4 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@dhsc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Mental Health Act: revocation of supplementary instructions with respect to the exercise of an approval function in relation to section 12 doctors 2020

PDF, 21.8 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@dhsc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

These instructions lay out how to approve registered medical practitioners and of approving people to act as approved clinicians under the 1983 Mental Health Act.

Application forms to become an approved doctor or clinician can be requested from your local approval body:

North of England Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust tewv.neap@nhs.net
Midlands and East Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust rdash.mha.approvals@nhs.net
London London Central and North West NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) s12acadmin.cnwl@nhs.net
South of England Winterhead Limited office@winterhead.co.uk

Sign up for emails or print this page