Mental Health Act 1983

A list of organisations offering legal information and support to people affected by the Mental Health Act.

Useful contacts

Mind's services

Mind's Legal Line gives legal information and general advice by phone, email or post.
Local Minds offer face-to-face services across England and Wales. These services include talking therapies, peer support and advocacy.

How to find an advocate

To find advocacy services and groups in your area, you could call Mind's Legal Line on 0300 466 6463 or contact your local Mind.

If you're in hospital, you can also contact the:

Patient Advice Liaison Service (PALS) in England
Llais in Wales

In some situations, you may be legally entitled to the support of an advocate. For more information, see our pages on advocacy.

Other organisations

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

03000 616 161
cqc.org.uk
[email protected]
Regulates and inspects health and social care services in England.

Citizens Advice

0800 144 8848 (England Adviceline)
0800 702 2020 (Wales Adviceline)
18001 0800 144 8884 (textphone)
citizensadvice.org.uk
Free, confidential information and advice on your rights. Including money, housing, discrimination and other problems. Provides helplines and a chat service on weekdays.

Civil Legal Advice (CLA)

gov.uk/civil-legal-advice
Can tell you if you're eligible for legal aid, and give you free and confidential legal advice if so.

First-tier Tribunal (Mental Health)

gov.uk/courts-tribunals/first-tier-tribunal-mental-health
Deals with cases in England relating to the Mental Health Act 1983.

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW)

hiw.org.uk
Independent regulator for healthcare in Wales. You can make complaints and give feedback on experiences of care in Wales.

Law Centres Network

lawcentres.org.uk
Information about Law Centres, which defend the legal rights of people who can't afford a lawyer. Includes a searchable directory.

Law Society

lawsociety.org.uk
Professional association for solicitors in England and Wales. Includes a searchable directory of solicitors.

Mental Health Lawyers Association

mhla.co.uk
Professional association for solicitors specialising in mental health law. Includes a list of solicitors by local area.

Mental Health Review Tribunal for Wales

mentalhealthreviewtribunal.gov.wales
Deals with cases in Wales relating to the Mental Health Act 1983.

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This information was published in June 2022.

This page is currently under review. All content was accurate when published.

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