NEWS: Mental Health Bill Advances in Lords

Long-awaited legislation to reform care for mental health patients is one step closer to becoming law, as the Mental Health Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on November 25th.

The Mental Health Bill, introduced earlier this month, will modernise the Mental Health Act, giving patients a greater say in their care, along with bolstered support from family and friends as part of treatment to ensure that their interests are protected and that their voice is heard throughout the treatment process.

Last year, over 50,000 people were detained under the Mental Health Act, but an independent review of the Mental Health Act, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, President of the Royal Society of Medicine, found rising rates of detention under the act, along with racial disparities, and poor patient experience especially for autistic people and those with a learning disability, with patients being detained unnecessarily and for longer than needed.

Alongside making it a legal requirement for each patient to have a care and treatment plan, the bill will also give patients the right to an Advance Choice Document, which can be used by patients to set out what they want their care to look like in the event of a mental health crisis.

Police and prison cells will also no longer be used to place people who need care under the Mental Health Act. Instead, patients will be supported to access a suitable healthcare facility that will better support their needs.

It will also address unnecessary detentions for people with a learning disability or autistic people. At the end of October 2024, 1,880 people with these conditions were detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act, and research suggests that some would be better suited to care in the community.