The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7394 p376
1 April 2006

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Mental health law reform

Plans launched in 2001 to reform mental health law and which have been widely opposed have been reined in by the Government.

Rather than go ahead with its draft Mental Health Bill 2004, the Government has decided to put forward a shorter Bill to amend the existing Mental Health Act 1983. The Bill will simplify the definition of “mental disorder” and replace a treatability test that currently results in some people with personality disorder being inappropriately excluded from the treatment they need.

The new Bill will also introduce supervised community treatment to ensure that patients discharged from compulsory hospital treatment continue to comply with therapy.