Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will review the Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure people with co-occurring mental health and substance misuse needs are not excluded from treatment.

The Mental Health Act 2025 will give patients greater choice, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment.

We know that people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs do not always receive the integrated, person-centred care they require and deserve. We are committed to promoting more cohesion between mental health services and substance use services, to ensure people, included those subject to the Mental Health Act, no longer fall through the gaps of treatment. The Department and NHS England have published the Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Delivery framework, which provides national commitments and calls to the sector on how the health system can improve delivery of integrated, person-centred care across drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services.

In developing this plan, we have worked with subject matter experts, including people with lived experience, academics, clinicians, and service providers, to set out a path to improving service provision for those with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs. This standard provides guidance for drug and alcohol treatment commissioners on improving services for people with co-occurring mental health and alcohol or drug conditions and how local services need to work together so that people can access the help they need.