The role of Hospital Managers can be delegated to one or a combination of the following:

  • Medical records officer
  • Duty charge nurse
  • Bed managers
  • Ward managers
  • Senior charge nurses
  • Nurse in charge
  • For acute, general hospital services, this includes the unit senior charge nurse or clinical co-ordinators.

In NHS Forth Valley this role is fulfilled by the Mental Health Act Administrators, within the Medical Records Department.

Duties in relation to emergency admission under detention

  • Appointment of a Responsible Medical Officer for the patient and medical examination by an Approved Medical Practitioner for those patients subject to an EDC.
  • To take all reasonable steps to ensure the patient understands the effects of the certificate. This includes providing access to translation services – tel: 01324 590886.
  • To ensure any certificate of detention is compliant with the requirements within the Act.
  • To ensure that any certificates and timelines are managed properly.

Duties when an EDC (Section 36) is issued

  • Withing 12 hours of receiving the certificate inform the nearest relative or person who resides with the patient, named person and Mental Welfare Commission of the granting of a certificate.
  • Notify within 7 days of Section 37 information, Named Person, Mental Welfare Commission and where MHO consent was not obtained the appropriate local authority of additional information in Section 37.

Duties when a STDC (Section 44) is issued

  • Notify as soon as practicable the patient, named person, any welfare guardian or attorney of the granting of a certificate.
  • Within 7 days of the granting of a certificate send a copy of the certificate to the Mental Welfare Commission and Mental Health Tribunal.

Editorial Information

Last reviewed: 28/05/2021

Author(s): Julia Ferrari, Joe McGhee, Duncan Westall, William McFadden, Heather Tainsh , Susan Sutherland, Marie White , Anne Cook, Justin McNicholl, Douglas Armstrong, Dr Nabila Muzaffar, Dr Stuart Affleck, Dr David Cumming, Andrew Angus, Jackie Maher, Rose Mills, Vincent Hughes..