Mental health reforms aim to allow patients more say
The Independent
|November 06, 2024
New bill will mean those in crisis are not detained in cells
Patients sectioned under the Mental Health Act will have more dignity and a say over their care under proposed reforms to what has been described as an “outdated” system.
Among the changes as part of the Mental Health Bill, which will come before parliament today, police cells and prison cells will no longer be used for people experiencing a mental health crisis, with patients instead expected to be looked after within a suitable healthcare facility.
In July’s King’s Speech, Labour vowed to update the Mental Health Act in a bid to shift the balance of power from the system to the patient, with the aim of putting service users at the centre of decisions about their own care.
Writing exclusively for The Independent, health secretary Wes Streeting raised the story of Georgie, who was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at 16, forced to quit school, and admitted to a mental health ward. “Despite complying with treatment, she was assessed by a clinician and then detained under the Mental Health Act,” he said.
Mr Streeting added: “Her autonomy was removed and she was left feeling defeated and hopeless. This dehumanising treatment is how patients are too often treated, in this country, in 2024, under the Mental Health Act.”
यह कहानी The Independent के November 06, 2024 संस्करण से ली गई है।
हजारों चुनिंदा प्रीमियम कहानियों और 10,000 से अधिक पत्रिकाओं और समाचार पत्रों तक पहुंचने के लिए मैगज़्टर गोल्ड की सदस्यता लें।
क्या आप पहले से ही ग्राहक हैं? साइन इन करें
The Independent से और कहानियाँ
The Independent
All's fair in love and war for the relationship anarchists
Ditching labels, structures and hierarchies may be one way of breathing new life into a tired partnership
5 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
Blair's ad guru attacks PM's lack of plan to tackle Farage
Sir Tony Blair's former advertising guru has warned Sir Keir Starmer does not have the “urgently needed” plan required to tackle the rise of populists such as Nigel Farage.
3 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
Balance of fluid attack with defensive steel evades Slot
Halfway into Arne Slot’s debut campaign at Liverpool, they had 46 points and a six-point lead over rivals who had played a game more. Halfway into his sophomore season, and they are in fourth place. Is that fair? “Yeah, yeah,” Slot concurred.
3 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
Tehran ramps up tensions with counterwarning to US
'Don't cross our red line', Iranian leaders warn Trump, after president vows to defend those protesting for regime change
3 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
UK hit by big freeze as Met Office issues new warnings
Britons are set for a freezing first weekend of 2026 as Arctic winds bring a cold snap across the UK, prompting warnings of travel chaos, blizzards and power cuts.
2 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
Two dead, one missing as Yorkshire search continues
A 67-year-old man and another person have died after reports of a “number of people in difficulty in water” at a popular Yorkshire seaside town.
2 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
ON THIS DAY
1521: Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther, beginning the Protestant Reformation.
1 min
January 03, 2026
The Independent
Van Veen sets up battle of the boys final with Littler
The future, it seems, is now. The 2026 World Championship final will not only showcase the very best that darts currently offers but also give a tantalising glimpse of a rivalry that could dominate the sport for years to come.
4 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
Deadly protests could spell the end for Iran's ayatollahs
For the best part of 50 years, almost the only part of the Middle East to have remained seemingly, if deceptively, static has been the rule of the ayatollahs in Iran.
4 mins
January 03, 2026
The Independent
‘I was addressing sexuality in every artistic gesture’
As he returns with a new album, Beirut-born pop star Mika opens up to Roisin O'Connor about his late mother's lasting influence, early critical backlash, and the joys of creativity
7 mins
January 03, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
