THERESA MAY PLEDGES TO REPLACE THE MENTAL HEALTH ACT 1983
- 09 Jun
Prime Minister, Theresa May has pledged to replace the Mental Health Act 1983 with a new Mental Health Treatment bill, if the Conservatives are re-elected, Community Care, reports.
According to Ms May, the new bill would introduce the following:
- Revised thresholds for detentions in order to stop the powers being "overused"
- A new code of practice to reduce the disproportionate use of mental health detention for minority group
- New safeguards for people with mental health problems who have the capacity to refuse or consent to treatment, so that "they can never be treated against their will"
According to the Tories, the proposals were described as the biggest change to mental health treatment law in over 30 years.
Ms May said:
"On my first day in Downing Street last July, I described shortfalls in mental health services as one of the burning injustices in our country. It is abundantly clear to me that the discriminatory use of a law passed more than three decades ago is a key part of the reason for this.
"So today I am pledging to rip up the 1983 Act and introduce in its place a new law which finally confronts the discrimination and unnecessary detention that takes place too often."
Labour's shadow mental health minister, Barbara Keeley, said:
"The Tories have not delivered on their promise to give mental health the same priority as physical health. They appear to be offering no extra funding and have consistently raided mental health budgets over the last seven years.
"Warm words from the Tories will not help to tackle the injustice of unequal treatment in mental health."
What do you think?
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For more details, visit Community Care.
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