The Mental Health Act has received Royal Assent.
In early 2024, our report , Discharge from mental health care: making it safe and patient-centred highlighted the trauma and tragedies that can occur when mistakes are made as people leave hospital. This included people who had been cared for under sections of the Mental Health Act. One of our core recommendations was the need for a reformed Mental Health Act to improve the standard of care for those most in need.
Since publication, we have worked alongside stakeholders across the health, voluntary and community sector to engage with colleagues at NHS England and DHSC along with Parliamentarians. We wanted to make sure the Government's manifesto commitment was honoured and that the legislation was setting services up for success and people up for recovery. The Act receiving Royal Assent is a significant and welcome step forward.
Ombudsman Paula Sussex said:
"Mental health patients are among the most vulnerable in our society and their safety and rights must be protected. Both patients and staff have been calling for a twenty-first-century Mental Health Act that supports both those receiving and those delivering modern mental health care.
Our 2024 report, Discharge from mental health care: making it safe and patient-centred called for reforming the Act to improve the standard of care for people most in need. The Act receiving Royal Assent is a significant and welcome step forward.
We know that people receiving care in mental health inpatient settings are among the least likely to raise concerns when things go wrong. That is why the Act’s provisions to strengthen support and signposting are so important. The human tragedies we see through our casework when mistakes are made underline why people must be able to speak up. It can prevent the same mistakes from happening again. Patients, families, and carers must be listened to and meaningfully involved in decision-making.
The vast majority of professionals working in mental health services are deeply committed and provide care with skill and compassion every day. However, with NHS services under immense pressure, mistakes will inevitably occur. To realise the full ambition of this legislation, we cannot be complacent. Adequate resourcing and a genuine culture of care across mental health services are essential if this reform is to deliver lasting change."