A Section 12 assessment is a Mental Health Act assessment carried out under the Mental Health Act 1983 when there are concerns that someone may need to be detained (“sectioned”) for assessment or treatment of a mental disorder.
Section 12 of the Mental Health Act sets out requirements for medical recommendations and specifies that at least one of the doctors involved must have special expertise in diagnosing and treating mental disorders and be formally approved under Section 12.
The assessment is typically undertaken by:
- An Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP), often a social worker
- A Section 12 approved doctor, usually a psychiatrist with specialist training and experience in mental health law
- Another doctor, often the person’s GP or a doctor who knows them where practicable
During the assessment, the professionals assess:
- The person’s mental health
- Any risks to themselves or others
- Whether detention in hospital is necessary
- Whether there are less restrictive alternatives available
The doctors provide medical recommendations, and the AMHP decides whether an application for detention under the Mental Health Act should be made.
Section 12 Assessment Payment Rates:
- S12 Approved Doctors Fee: £173.37
- Non S12 Approved Doctors Fee: £53.76
- Mileage Rate: £0.398
S12 Solutions App Information:
In Somerset, we have commissioned the S12 Solutions app from VitalHub; this is to be used for all S12 bookings and payments.
- S12 doctors need to sign up to the platform via this link please
- Before an account is created, VitalHub will check and confirm the doctor’s S12 status to ensure that only qualified personnel can access the platform
- S12 doctors will be contacted by VitalHub who will send out user guides on how to operate the platform
S12 doctors can then contact the VitalHub support team who can arrange training sessions via MS Teams
