The Government has today introduced the Mental Health Act.
The reforms will introduce statutory care and treatment plans, end the use of police and prison cells to place people experiencing a mental health crisis, and end the inappropriate detention of autistic people and people with learning disabilities. The legislation aims to better support patients, treat them more humanely, and address disparities.
Responding to the introduction, Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive of VODG says:
‘We welcome the introduction of the new Mental Health Act. We hope reform will go some way to reducing the number of autistic people and people with a learning disability detained in Assessment and Treatment Units (ATUs).
‘Currently there are over 2000 autistic people and people with a learning disability detained in ATUs against their will, long distances from home and families are unaware of what is happening to their loved ones. It is a human rights scandal that must be urgently addressed, and this Bill represents a long-awaited step in the right direction.
‘Alongside this legislation, we urge the government to take action to reduce the numbers of autistic people and people with a learning disability in locked settings and to hold the NHS, local authorities and the regulator to account in bolstering the delivery of third sector community alternatives to long stay hospitals, which have proven to make such a positive difference to people’s lives.’
-ENDS
Co-produced with members, VODG has a Building the Right Support Hub bringing together resources and case studies from across the third sector on ending the scandal of autistic people and people with a learning disability in long-stay hospitals.
While the Act is a positive step forward, it is only one change needed to ensure the scandal of people being detained longterm in ATUs ends. Following a fringe meeting at Labour Party Conference, we have written to Health and Disability Ministers sharing a roadmap for change and continue to work with allies across the sector to call for community alternatives to be prioritised.