Mental health bill lobby

Mental Health Nursing,  Nov/Dec 2002  

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Hundreds of service users, carers and professionals lobbied MPs to oppose the draft mental health bill as Mental Health Nursing was going to press.

The mass lobby was organised by the Mental Health Alliance (MHA), a group of over 500 mental health organisations, including CPNA, MACA, Mind, Rethink, the Law Society and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The lobby has been timed to put pressure on the government to make key changes to the draft bill which could be in the Queen's Speech this month.

Alliance chair Paul Farmer said: "We urge the government to seize this chance to pass mental health legislation fit for the 21st century before it's too late. That means making significant changes to its current draft bill, which is unworkable and fundamentally flawed in its current form."

Over 1,000 people attended the previous MHA parliamentary lobby in June 2000.

Mr Farmer added: "MPs will hear firsthand why hundreds of people fear the Bill would turn their doctors into jailers, allowing people who have committed no crime to be locked tip indefinitely."

The Alliance cancelled the demonstration previously planned for September in the light of events surrounding the Soham murder enquiry.

Meanwhile there has been praise for the Scottish hill published in September. The Mental Health Foundation called on the UK Government to rethink and redraft its proposed Mental Health Bill, adopting the Scottish Executive's approach. The Foundation called Scotland's Bill a `vast improvement' on that of England and Wales, which it described as 'misconceived and unworkable'.

Meanwhile the Royal College of Psychiatrists has welcomed the new mental health bill for Scotland as a `well thought out piece of legislation'.

A spokesperson said:"The Bill is based on principles which should underpin modern mental health services, reciprocity and least restrictive alternative.

"As psychiatrists we believe that protecting patient's autonomy is vital in preventing the misuse of psychiatry to control social problems. One example of this is the introduction of mental health tribunals as part of the process of detention and appeal against detention."

Pack for carers

Mental health charity MACA has launched an information pack for carers of adults with mental health needs. The pack provides practical advice and guidance on how carers can assert their rights outlined in Standard Six of the National Service Framework. This states that carers should have an assessment of their own needs on at least an annual basis and their own written care plan based on discussions with them.

MACA's carer development worker Richenda Hamer, who devised the pack said it offered 'new' and 'established' carers lots of information about the wide range of services available to them and ways of accessing them. The topics arose from a two year consultation process with carers, people who use mental health services, and health professionals.

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