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6 November 2024
Bild welcomes Mental Health Act reform announced today
6 November 2024
Bild welcomes the Mental Health Act reforms announced today by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP.
Reform to the Act is long overdue, and we are pleased that today’s announcement explicitly acknowledges the significant inequalities and human rights breaches experienced by people with learning disabilities, autistic people and black people. It is essential that reforms to the Mental Health Act strengthen protection for people’s rights and address inequalities that have huge impact on people, families and communities across England.
Bild particularly welcomes the amendment to ensure detainment of people with a learning disability and autistic people is limited to 28 days, unless they have a co-occurring mental health condition.
People with learning disabilities and autistic people experience unacceptably and inappropriately long stays in inpatient settings, with over half lasting over two years (1) and an average stay being 4.9 years (2), compared to an average stay of 39 days for the wider UK population (3). This is intolerable and rightly must be challenged and legislated against.
However, without appropriate specialist support, close to home, in people’s communities, when they need it, a limitation on detainment alone will not address the underlying issues. People with lived experience have raised concerns about unintended consequences of reform. To enable reforms to the Act to be implemented successfully, it is vital that the right community support is in place.
For too long the focus has been on addressing crisis, not preventing it. Lord Darzi’s independent investigation of the NHS in England highlighted the need for improved prevention and community support.
Too many people with learning disabilities and autistic people are currently unable to access the care and support they need in the community. A long-term vision for community support, focused on the experience of people accessing support, rather than short-term expense, is crucial. Improving community support is no small undertaking, but is essential in improving quality of life, reducing strain on the NHS and shifting to a true preventative model. Change must address the significant challenges facing the social care system, which will inevitably require a commitment to significant resource and investment. Without these wider changes, people will continue to be disadvantaged and face inappropriate detention.
The proposed changes to the Act, while very welcome, cannot be taken in isolation, and must be part of a broader change in how we provide support to those who need it. The meaningful involvement of the voluntary sector and crucially, of people with lived experience, in defining and shaping solutions and measuring ‘good community support’ will be pivotal in shaping a sustainable model for the future.
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