Mental Health Act reforms

Today, the Government are announcing major reforms to the Mental Health Act to give individuals more control over the services they receive, delivering on the Conservatives commitment to improve people’s experience under the Act and ensure their care and treatment works for them.

People too often feel disempowered and excluded from decisions about their care in a mental health crisis, which is why it is important to put patients at the centre of decisions that affect them, as part of our plan to drive parity between mental and physical health support.

Set out in a White Paper we’re published today; reforms will lead to greater choice and autonomy for patients who experience a mental health crisis and ensure services better meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and autism. They will also ensure the Act is used in the least restrictive way, so that patients get the care they need to recover.

This is a significant moment in how we support those with serious mental health issues which will give patients more autonomy over their care and end the disparities in how people access services, in particular for people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for good.

Should you need to urgently speak to someone regarding your mental health, please ring the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust helpline on: 0808 196 3494

For confidential 24 hour support from the Samaritans, please call 116123

For any elderly constituents who live on their own and are feeling very lonely during this time, Age UK run a friendly chatline where you can have a friendly one to one chat with someone. Should you feel you would like to speak with someone, please do call: 0800 470 8090

For domestic abuse support, please contact Leeway on: 0300 561 0077 Email:adviceandsupport@leewaynwa.org.uk