A Mental Health Tribunal is an independent additional body who can review a service user’s detention. It is the primary mechanism for appeal against detention under specific sections of the Mental Health Act in hospital or a Community Treatment Order, Conditional Discharge or Guardianship order in the community.
Service users detained under the Mental Health Act have a right to apply for a Mental Health Tribunal. These may include people detained on Section 2, Section 3, Section 37 or a Community Treatment Order however, this not exhaustive list.
To make an application for tribunal there is a form to complete and support is available on the ward from nursing staff or the Mental Health Advocate Administrator. You can also receive support to make an application from an Independent Mental Health Advocate or your legal representative.
Once the application has been submitted the tribunal services will acknowledge your application and at the same time they will request a report from your care team, your doctor, social worker and named nurse.
Your nearest relative will be informed of your application to the tribunal and will be advised of the date, time and hearing venue. Once the reports have been submitted your legal representative will discuss the reports with you to enable you to prepare your case for the hearing. Finally, before the hearing takes place the medical member of the tribunal panel will come to visit you to complete an assessment and their preliminary examinations.
The hearing is held in private either at hospital where you are detained or in a local community health team office. The tribunal panel consists of three members; the judge, a psychiatrist and a third person who is a lay member and has an interest in mental health.
On the day of the hearing the care team who provided the reports will attend the hearing to give evidence. You will be invited to attend the hearing along with your legal representative and also a family member if you have given your permission.
Your legal representative and the panel will have the opportunity to cross examine the health and social care professionals. You will also have the opportunity to give your evidence and to ask any questions you may feel appropriate.
Once the panel is satisfied that they have heard all the evidence they will take a break to deliberate the evidence. The panel then call everybody back in the room to communicate their decision to you verbally.
You will receive written communication of their decision within 7 working days.
The tribunal has certain powers including the power to discharge a service user from their detention under the Mental Health Act. The tribunal may also make recommendations to the service users care team. This may include suggesting leave arrangements, transferring the service user to another hospital or for the Responsible Clinician to consider making a Community Treatment Order or Guardianship order.
A Hospital Managers review is a panel of 3 people who act on behalf of the hospital managers. The Hospital Managers have powers under Section 23 of the Mental Health Act to discharge the service user from their detention in the hospital or their supervised community treatment.
The Hospital Managers act on behalf of the Trust Board they are lay people who are independent to the hospital.
If you wish to apply for a Hospital Managers review an application form and support to complete the form are available from nursing/community staff or the Mental Health Advocate Administrator. Once the form has been received the process runs similarly to the tribunal process. The Mental Health Advocate Administrator will request reports from the care team.
On the day of hearing the care team who provided the reports will attend the managers’ review to give evidence. You will be invited to attend the review along with your legal representative and also a family member if you have given your permission.
The Managers will have the opportunity to cross examine the health and social care professionals. You will also have the opportunity to give your evidence and to ask any questions you may feel appropriate.
Once the managers are satisfied that they have heard all the evidence they will take a break to deliberate the evidence. The manager’s decision will be communicated to you verbally.
You will receive written communication of their decision within 7 working days.
The Hospital managers review is organised locally by a Mental Health Advocate Administrator rather than Tribunal Service. The Hospital Managers review panel consists of 3 lay people whereas the Tribunal consists of a judge, an independent psychiatrist and a lay person.
The Hospital Managers review must make a unanimous decision for discharge whereas the Tribunal can make a majority decision.
A service user can apply for a Hospital Managers review at any point during their detention and with the Tribunal there is an eligibility period. If a service user applies for a Hospital Managers review it does not affect their right to apply for a Tribunal.
Hospital Managers have the power to discharge you from detention under the Mental Health Act.