On 19 July the Mental Health Bill received Royal Assent and
became the Mental
Health Act 2007.
Commenting, Dr Ian Hall, Chair of the Westminster Parliamentary
Liaison Committee said:
"After 8 years we finally have a Mental Health Act
2007. However, we now need to ensure that we get a code of
practice that is fit for purpose for patients, carers and
professionals alike. The Code will be out for formal
consultation in the Autumn, and we will seek to ensure College
views are well represented to the Department of Health."
The Explanatory Notes to the Act will be
available on the Department of Health website in the next
week. We are also expecting a more accessible
version to show how the 1983 Act has been amended.
Next Steps
The College is now working to
achieve improvements to the Code of Practice,
particularly ensuring that assurances made by Government Ministers
at the dispatch box are followed through on.
At the moment, the Department of Health have
produced a
'draft illustrative code' and a draft
memorandum.
The 'draft illustrative code' is currently
being updated to reflect the changes to the Bill during its passage
through parliament. Once it is completed it will be sent out for
consultation, which we are expecting in October 2007 .
Consultation
The Registrar has asked
the Westminster Parliamentary Liaison Committee to lead
the College’s response to this consultation. We will
consult all Divisions, Faculties, Sections, Standing Committees,
Special Committees, and Special Interest Groups to ensure that they
are part of the process.
If you have any questions regarding the
College’s role in consultation or you have any specific points
regarding the Code of Practice that you would like to raise, please
email Neil Balmer, the College’s Public Affairs Officer on
nbalmer@rcpsych.ac.uk
If you have any queries about the new Act or
about the proposed secondary legislation and Code of Practice, you
can email the Bill team on MentalHealthBill@dh.gsi.gov.uk