AC Directions
Approved Clinicians Directions
Transitional arrangements to enable the smooth introduction of Approved Clinicians are set out in the “Mental Health Act 1983 Approved Clinician (General) Directions 2008” (which incorporate, and therefore, replace the Mental Health Act 1983 Approved Clinician Directions 2008).
The Directions (available here) introduce the Approved Clinician (AC) role and cover how ACs are to be approved by Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts, for how long, which professions they can be drawn from, and what competencies they must demonstrate.
These directions include transitional arrangements which allow the automatic approval of certain registered medical practitioners as ACs when they come into force on 3 November 2008. Guidance on these transitional arrangements can be found in the ‘Implementation of the Mental Health Act 2007 Transitional Arrangements’.
Hospital Managers will have a responsibility to ensure that a list of ACs is established by November 3rd and thereafter maintained. SHAs will also need to maintain a register of ACs.
The Directions set out the criteria for transition of medical practitioners. Trust Boards will need to ensure that the criteria within Directions have been applied to each of the medical practitioners who are being transferred to Approved Clinicians when the Act comes into force.
In order to ensure this is the case, the Board will need to review each medical practitioner's status and experience and decide whether the criteria are met. If the criteria are met then each name can be placed on the Approved Clinician list. If the criteria are not met, then arrangements need to be made for the individual practitioner to access appropriate training. Medical directors are likely to have a key role in this important process.