Mental Health Act - white paper published
The Government has published its Mental Health Act reform white paper, which it says will deliver parity between mental and physical health services and give people more control over their treatment. White Paper published on Wednesday 13th January sets out proposals to implement much of Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, though it comes more than two years after its publication.
A range of changes are proposed including enabling people to nominate a person to help with care decisions and express advance preferences for treatment. The White Paper is based on four principles that have been developed with people with lived experience of the MHA. They are:
- choice and autonomy
- least restriction
- therapeutic benefit and
- the person as an individual.
The consultation on these proposals closes on 21 April 2021.
"This white paper is an excellent opportunity to update the law and improve support for everyone who needs it. We strongly support the objective to give people a stronger say in their treatment." Local Government Association.
Read Mental Health Act reform white paper.
Read a full summary of the proposals from Community Care Inform legal editor Tim Spencer-Lane.
Published