Imroc’s response to UK government's mental health bill announcement

We were delighted to see the new Mental Health Bill introduced in Parliament this week. This is long overdue as it includes reforms to the Mental Health Act that have been in the works since 2017. 

The four principles underpinning the reform bill include:

• Giving people using services more autonomy and choice 

• Minimising restrictions on liberty as far as possible by raising the threshold for detention and for community treatment orders 

• Ensuring that detention and treatment have therapeutic benefit and are person-centred with clear care and treatment plans to support progress and discharge 

• Providing people admitted with the right to choose a nominated person to be their advocate rather than automatic selection of their nearest relative 

In addition prison and police cells will no longer be used as ‘places of safety’ for people in mental health crisis.

There will be a 28 day limit on the detention of people with learning disability and autism unless they have a co-occurring health condition.

Whilst the intention is to improve the experience of people from racialised communities the details of how this will be achieved are not clear.

This is a great opportunity to take the preferences, rights and experiences of people who experience mental health challenges and their families and friends into account in reshaping mental health care.  However it will need to be accompanied by adequate investment in both services and in the communities who hold huge expertise and experience in supporting people who do not find current mental health services accessible, acceptable or supportive.