Wednesday 22 August
I spent some of my time in London this week
being interviewed for a short film (watch this space!) about the
College’s support for the Mental Health (Discrimination) Bill which
receives its first full Commons debate on 14 September.
The Bill aims to:
- remove the blanket ban that forbids people who suffer or have
suffered from a mental disorder or are regularly attending for
treatment undertaking jury service
- amend legislation which states that a person might cease to be
a director of a public or private company “by reason of their
mental health”
- remove legislation under which an MP automatically loses their
seat if they are sectioned under the Mental Health Act for more
than six months
We’re working with Parliamentarians and mental
health charities to try to ensure as many MPs as possible turn out
to support the Bill, and I would encourage all members of the
College to write to their own MP to tell them about this piece of
anti discrimination legislation and ask for their support.
This briefing contains more information on the Bill which I
hope you find useful.
Things are always a little quieter in August,
which is giving me time to catch up some reading. Yesterday, I
was emailed a link to this
very interesting interview in JAMA with Peter F Buckley MD,
Dean of the Medical College of Georgia at the Georgia Health
Sciences University in Augusta, on violence and schizophrenia.
I was also contacted yesterday by YoungMinds
magazine, who are writing a news story reporting on the results of
a new survey the charity has done on cuts in CAMHS funding. I gave
a comment on the results, which will be published in the magazine
very shortly. I’ll post a link when it’s available.
Sue
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