Ms Kate Mitchell:

The legislation, the Mental Health Act 2001, defines a consultant psychiatrist as the clinical lead for a service and he or she must be in place to make the assessment. That is the position set out in legislation and policy. If the committee is to look at the issue, it will need to examine it in the context of the existing legislation. There are other jurisdictions, the United Kingdom for example, where a consultant psychiatrist is not required to make the assessment and take on the role of clinical lead. That is not the case here.