Mental Health Act reform and CQC’s annual report on the use of the Act

Spring has seen two important publications for the mental health sector whether you are a commissioner or provider of mental health services in the NHS or the independent sector.

Mental Health Act reform

The draft Mental Health Bill, published in June 2022, contained proposals to update the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA). A Joint Committee was appointed to review the draft Bill and they published a report with 55 recommendations in January 2023. The Government published its long-awaited response to the Joint Committee’s report on 21 March 2024.

So, with Mental Health Act reform delayed beyond the election, where does the Government stand on the Joint Committee’s recommendations?

You can read our article on Mental Health Act reform here.

Monitoring the Mental Health Act

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its latest annual report setting out its findings from engagement with people who are subject to the MHA as well as a review of services registered to assess, treat and care for people detained using the MHA. The regulator’s report serves as a reminder of the urgent need to reform the MHA with several practical examples in the report.

You can read our article on the CQC’s report here.