Government confirms no Mental Health Act reform before next election
TL;DR
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The government has confirmed that there will be no reform of the Mental Health Act 1983 before the next election. The decision has been met with criticism from mental health campaigners and health professionals, who argue that the current law is outdated and out of touch with modern mental health care.
The government's decision comes after a six-year process to reform the Mental Health Act, which began with the 2017/18 Independent Review of the Mental Health Act and led to the publication of a draft Mental Health Bill in 2022.
The proposed legislation would have introduced a number of changes to mental health care, including:
Giving patients more control over their care and treatment
Reducing the use of compulsory detention
Improving access to community-based mental health services
Addressing the over-representation of people from Black and minority ethnic communities in the mental health system
However, the government has now confirmed that it will not be taking forward the Mental Health Bill before the next election. This decision has been met with disappointment and anger from many people working in the mental health sector.
Criticism of the government's decision
Mental health campaigners and health professionals have argued that the current Mental Health Act is outdated and does not reflect the latest evidence on mental health care. They have also pointed out that the law has a number of flaws, such as the over-representation of people from Black and minority ethnic communities in the mental health system.
Psychiatrist and chair of the independent review, Dr Peter Tyrer, said:
"The old act had gotten very out of date – there are lots of Victorian bits to it – and it clearly was not allowing people to make choices. There was a really worrying excess of people from Black African and Caribbean communities being detained under the act and people were being detained for too long. That all needs to be addressed."
Dr Tyrer also expressed concern about the fact that people with autism are still being detained under the Mental Health Act, saying that there is evidence that they are being detained for too long and without therapeutic service.
What next?
It is now unclear when the government will next consider reforming the Mental Health Act. However, mental health campaigners and health professionals have vowed to continue to pressure the government to make changes.
In the meantime, people with mental health problems and their families will continue to be subject to the current Mental Health Act, which many people believe is outdated and unfair.
The government's decision to delay reform of the Mental Health Act is a major blow to mental health campaigners and health professionals. The current law is outdated and out of touch with modern mental health care. It is essential that the government makes a commitment to reforming the Mental Health Act as soon as possible.
In the meantime, it is important to remember that there are a number of organisations that can provide support to people with mental health problems and their families. If you are struggling, please reach out for help.
