Independent Mental Health Advocates

(asked on 10th May 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an immediate allocation of an Independent Mental Health Advocate for all those detained in hospital under section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983.


Answered by
Gillian Keegan Portrait
Gillian Keegan
Secretary of State for Education
This question was answered on 17th May 2022

Later this year, we will publish a draft Mental Health Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny. This will set out proposed amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure the legislation respects the patient’s voice and empowers individuals to shape their care and treatment. We have also committed to enact legislative changes to extend eligibility of independent mental health advocate services to all mental health inpatients, including informal patients.

In December 2021, we announced the launch of culturally appropriate advocacy pilots. These pilots will develop advocacy models to support people from ethnic minority backgrounds to understand their rights under the Mental Health Act and state individual needs and choices about their care and treatment. This will be piloted in four regions in England in inpatient and community settings. The outcomes of these pilots will be shared with partners in health and social care to provide a framework to support commissioning and delivery of culturally appropriate advocacy.

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