Consultation Outcome: Changes to the Mental Health Act (1983) Code of Practice
Following a consultation under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government, the Department of Health has now published some changes to Mental Health Act (1983) Code of Practice.
This consultation proposed changes to legislation governing the treatment of people with mental health problems.
The consultation received 344 direct responses and also considered advice from consultation events, a steering group of health and care professionals and from an expert reference group of former patients and carers.
The response provides a high-level summary of changes made to Mental Health Act Code of Practice following the consultation.
The main changes include:
- 5 new guiding principles
- new chapters on care planning, human rights, equality and health inequalities
- consideration of when to use the Mental Health Act and when to use to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and information to support victims
- new sections on physical healthcare, blanket restrictions, duties to support patients with dementia and immigration detainees
- significantly updated chapters on the appropriate use of restrictive interventions, particularly seclusion and long-term segregation, police powers and places of safety
- further guidance on how to support children and young people, those with a learning disability or autism
