Draft Mental Health Bill 2004 (external link)

The Government published a new Draft Mental Health Bill for England and Wales in September 2004. This is the first major overhaul of the system since the 1950s and it is intended to

• make significant improvements to patients' safeguards
• provide a modern legal framework in line with modern care and the treatment and human rights law
• protect public safety by enabling patients to get the right treatment at the right time.

Department of Health web pages (external link)

The Draft Bill has been the subject of extensive debate with patient groups and health professional bodies. Some of the latter have fundamental objections to elements in the Bill (see briefing below). The Draft Bill will go before a Joint Select Committee of both houses of Parliament. The Committee have to report by the end of March 2005. It is unlikely there will be a new Mental Health Act (as opposed to the draft Bill) before the summer of 2005.

Mental Health Foundation briefing on the draft Bill

Key changes from the Royal College of Psychiatrists

Next: Mental Capacity draft bill