Mental Health Bill now moves to House of Commons

It’s been a busy week for the mental health sector with the Mental Health Bill reaching a significant milestone in its progress through parliament and the annual NHS Confederation Mental Health Network Conference on 23 April. 

The conference heard from a stellar array of speakers from Sally Warren, the director general for the 10-year health to Rebecca Gray, Director of Mental Health Network, Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England CEO and Selvaraj Vincent, Deputy Medical Director consultant psychiatrist and Lord Victor Adebowale CBE. There was honesty about the challenges facing the whole of the NHS and mental health provision but an important acknowledgement that mental health has been leading on partnership working with the independent and the VCSE sectors. 

The Mental Health Bill which seeks to reform the Mental Health Act 1983 and enhance the patient voice received its third reading in the House of Lords on 23 April and now moves to the House of Commons. It was a short debate at 20 minutes! Only one amendment was tabled which was to reduce the time period for a tribunal application by patients transferred from guardianship to hospital. This amendment was agreed without a vote by the House of Lords.

A date for its first reading in the House of Commons has yet to be set but it is likely that the Bill will receive Royal Assent at some point before the parliamentary recess on 22 July 2025. 

With the Bill having reached the halfway stage of its passage through parliamentary proceedings now might be a good point to take stock of where we are with the main debates and changes made to the Bill by the Lords. You can read our earlier summary of the key debates here and Tim Spencer-Lane’s helpful analysis here.  

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