Can you provide a Tribunal report within the listing window?

Yes. We routinely deliver Tribunal reports within 10–14 days of instruction, and faster where the listing requires it. Ward access is arranged at the time of instruction.

How quickly can a report be delivered?

Standard turnaround is 1–2 weeks from receipt of the bundle and access to the assessee. Urgent reports can be delivered in 2–5 working days where a Crown Court trial date, tribunal listing or interim hearing requires it. We will tell you on day one whether the deadline is realistic.

How are fees calculated?

We agree a fixed fee for the report and any addendum, joint statement work and CMC/court attendance up front. Fees reflect the complexity, the volume of records and the urgency. We will provide a written quote that supports a Legal Aid prior authority application where required.

Can the expert be instructed as a Single Joint Expert?

Yes. The majority of our consultants accept SJE instructions and are experienced in dealing with joint letters of instruction, Part 35 questions from both sides, and joint reports with experts of like discipline.

Is in-person assessment essential?

Most assessments can be conducted by secure video, which keeps costs and timescales down and avoids travel. In-person assessment is arranged where the case calls for it, for example where capacity, malingering, or a child or learning-disabled assessee is involved, and across all the UK regions we cover.

What happens if the report is challenged at court?

The instructed expert remains responsible for the case end-to-end, including responding to Part 35 questions, attending the joint experts' discussion, signing the joint statement, and giving live evidence. There is no handover to a different expert at trial.

Case type

Mental Health Tribunal

Independent psychiatric reports are routinely commissioned by patients' solicitors for First-tier Tribunal (Mental Health) hearings, providing an alternative view to the responsible clinician on diagnosis, the criteria for detention, and risk.

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Use this category when…

You need to map a court order or letter from counsel to the right report
You're confirming whether a psychiatric expert (rather than a psychologist) is the right discipline
You want a fixed quote and a realistic deadline before instructing

What to send with your enquiry

A short summary plus the items below is enough for us to match an expert and confirm the deadline — you don't need the full bundle to get a quote.

Short case summary and the questions you want answered
Hearing or listing date and jurisdiction
GP and psychiatric records (full set where available)
Witness statements, schedules of loss or threshold documents
Any prior expert reports
Court order granting permission to instruct (family / Court of Protection)

Overview

Independent psychiatric reports are commissioned for Mental Health Tribunal hearings to provide an alternative view to the Responsible Clinician on diagnosis, the criteria for continued detention, and the appropriateness of community management. The report is the patient's evidence and must engage critically, but fairly, with the s.117 aftercare and risk management plans.

We instruct consultants experienced in writing for the First-tier Tribunal (Mental Health), including those with substantive experience of restricted patient (s.41) hearings and the upper-tier appeal jurisdiction.

Legal framework

Reports are prepared under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended) and the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008.

Psychiatric issues addressed

Whether the criteria for detention or CTO continue to be met
Diagnosis and treatability
Risk to self and others
Suitability for community management

Questions you can put to the expert

Drop any of these straight into your letter of instruction.

Are the statutory criteria for continued detention satisfied?
What treatment and support would be appropriate in the community?

Mental Health Tribunal: areas we cover

Community Treatment Order reviews

Reports address whether the CTO criteria continue to be met and whether less restrictive community arrangements would be sufficient.

Patients with capacity disputes

Where there is disagreement about capacity to consent to treatment or to a proposed discharge plan, the independent psychiatric report addresses the MCA functional test as well as the MHA criteria.

Restricted patient hearings (s.41)

Reports for restricted patient hearings address absolute and conditional discharge, the level of security required, and the realistic risk of relapse on conditional discharge with a proposed package of community supervision.

Section 2 and section 3 hearings

Reports address whether the statutory criteria, mental disorder of a nature or degree warranting detention for assessment or treatment, and the necessity of detention in the interests of the patient's health, safety, or for the protection of others, continue to be met.

What's in the report

Part 35 / FPR Part 25 / CrimPR statement of compliance, as applicable
Expert's CV and statement of independence
Detailed list of materials considered (records, statements, scans, prior reports)
Full history, mental state examination and collateral information
Diagnostic formulation referenced to ICD-11 / DSM-5-TR
Reasoned opinion on causation, apportionment, prognosis and treatment
Indicative treatment costings where requested
Statement of truth signed in the prescribed form

How we help

Same-day shortlist of suitable consultants once we receive a brief instruction
Choice of male or female assessor, and of sub-specialty, on every instruction
Fixed fees agreed up front; Legal Aid prior authority figures supported
Standard turnaround 1–2 weeks; urgent reports inside 5 working days where the diary allows
Joint reports, addendum reports, Part 35 questions and CMC attendance handled by the same expert
Remote (secure video) or in-person assessment across the UK

Frequently asked questions

Recommended services

Adult psychiatry Learning disabilities Neuropsychiatry

Need a psychiatric expert witness?

Tell us about your case and we'll match you to the right consultant, usually within 24 hours.

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