This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Major reform of Mental Health Act announced
The government has said that people with mental health issues who are detained under the Mental Health Act will benefit from new landmark reforms.
A package of reforms has been set out in a wide-ranging new Reforming the Mental Health Act white paper, which builds on the recommendations made by Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act in 2018. The main focus of the reforms is greater choice and autonomy for patients in a mental health crisis, ensuring the act’s powers are used in the least restrictive way, and that all patients are viewed and treated as individuals.
The government will consult on a number of proposed changes, including introducing statutory ‘advance choice documents’ to enable people to express their wishes and preferences on their care when they are well, before the need arises for them to go into hospital. Additionally, consultation will be undertaken on expanding the role of independent mental health advocates to offer a greater level of support and representation to every patient detained under the act and improving access to community-based mental health support, including crisis care.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I want to ensure our health service works for all, yet the Mental Health Act is now 40 years old. We need to bring mental health laws into the 21st century. Reforming the mental health Act is one of our central manifesto commitments, so the law helps get the best possible care to everyone who needs it.
“These reforms will rightly see people not just as patients, but as individuals, with rights, preferences, and expertise, who are able to rely on a system which supports them and only intervenes proportionately, and which has their health and wellbeing as its centre. This is a significant moment in how we support those with serious mental health issues, which will give people more autonomy over their care and will tackle disparities for all who access services, in particular for people from minority ethnic backgrounds.”
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