The trust manages the contract for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) approvals function under the Mental Health Act 1983, (as amended 2007) for both Section 12(2) doctors and approved clinicians (ACs) in the north of England.
The panel covers the north east, north west and Yorkshire regions.
Approximately 2,600 practitioners are included in the north of England region.
As part of the DHSC contract NEAP provides administrative support to the national Mental Health Act register database where AC and Section 12(2) approval details are recorded.
General enquiries
If you want to contact NEAP for any reason, please email the team: [email protected]
The role of the approvals panel
The panel makes sure applicants meet the requirements for approved clinician and/or Section 12(2) approval under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended 2007).
The panel is made up of consultant psychiatrists, GPs, forensic medical examiners (FMEs) and other professional groups who consider applications for both Section 12(2) and approved clinician approval, as specified within the Secretary of State instructions (2015).
Panel members
- Panel chair north of England – Dr Gill Bell
- Vice chair north west – Dr Mischa Mockett
- Vice chair Yorkshire – Dr Amanda Wild
There are also approximately 60 panel members across the north of England.
Other approvals panels
There are three other approvals panels across England who manage the same process. These are the Midlands and East of England approvals panel and the London and South of England approvals panel.
Applicants must apply in the region where they are in clinical practice.
How to apply
Applicants should contact the NEAP team for an application pack to apply for or renew their approved clinician and/or Section 12(2) status. The NEAP coordinators will be happy to help you with your application and guide you through the process.
Mental Health Act approvals database
When an application to NEAP is approved a practitioner’s name, employment address, telephone number(s), grade and approval dates will be added to the national Mental Health Act register.
The database is maintained on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health and can be accessed by AMHPs, police, employers, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), finance, courts and prisons. The Data Protection Act 2018 applies.
Access to the database can only be obtained using a secure personal login. An authorised user will be able to see if a practitioner is approved and the professional contact details held for them.
Examples of how it can be used include:
- To search for S12(2) doctors to undertake a Mental Health Act (MHA) assessment.
- Finance teams check to see if a doctor is S12(2) approved and are eligible to claim an MHA assessment fee.
- Employers / HR departments can check that employed practitioners hold valid approved clinician and /or S12(2) approval.
If you need access to the database, please email [email protected]
