New Advisory Group on Mental Health Bill Appointed, UK

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 12 Jan 2005 - 10:00 PDT

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UK Health Minister Rosie Winterton today announced the membership of a new advisory group responsible for advising the Government on how the new draft Mental Health Bill should be implemented.

Sandy Taylor, Chief Executive, County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, has been appointed chair of the Mental Health Bill Implementation Advisory Group.

The Advisory Group will bring together a wide range of experience including people with backgrounds in health and social care professions, service use and caring, the police, and legal representation. Part of the Group's role will be to work with the Government developing a Code of Practice and Regulations which will support the implementation of the draft Mental Health Bill. The group will also act as a channel of communication and contact with the members' wider networks.

Rosie Winterton said:

"I am delighted to announce that we are setting up an Implementation Advisory Group for the Mental Health Bill. The Group will play a key role helping with the implementation of the Bill, including the development of the Code of Practice and Regulations, whilst also acting as an informed source of advice, providing guidance on the planned work programme.

"I am confident that this constructive engagement will help achieve implementation of our proposed legislation in a way that will lead to real improvements in the treatment, under formal powers, of people with a mental disorder."

Sandy Taylor said:

"Implementation of the Bill will require the development of strong partnerships between a range of organisations and groups at local and national level. This Group will work to achieve this and make sure that mental health services are properly prepared when the new Act comes into force."

Notes to editor

1 The revised draft Mental Health Bill was published on 8 September 2004. It represents the first major overhaul of the legislation since the 1950s and is an integral part of the Government's wider strategy to improve mental health services for all.

2 Through a new focus on the individual, the Mental Health Bill aims to make significant improvements to patient safeguards, provide a legal framework that is more in line with up to date patterns of care and treatment, and to protect public safety by enabling patients to get the treatment they need.

3 The Bill is currently subject to pre-legislative scrutiny and the parliamentary committee will present its report by the end of March 2005. Following the committee's report the intention remains to introduce the Bill as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

4 To obtain a copy of the revised draft of the Bill please visit: http://www.dh.gov.uk/publications

The aim of the Mental Health Legislation: Implementation Advisory Group is to advise officials on further work to support the implementation of the proposed new Mental Health Act. This will encompass work on:

The new Regulations, such as those describing the eligibility of individuals to act as a Nominated Person;
The Code of Practice, which will provide explanatory guidance and good practice guidance for practitioners and decision makers; and
Specific implementation projects, such as the establishment of the new Mental Health Tribunal.

Advisory Group Members:

Chair -
Sandy Taylor, Chief Executive, County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust

Members -

Nigel Beail, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Barnsley Learning Disabilities Service and University of Sheffield

Jed Boardman, Senior Lecturer in Social Psychiatry, Guy's, King's & St Thomas' School of Medicine; Chair, General and Community Faculty, Royal College Psychiatrists

Richard Brook, Chief Executive, Mind; member, Mental Health Taskforce

Jeremy Cooper, Southern Regional Chair, Mental Health Review Tribunal

Maggie Cork, Chief Executive, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust; Chair, National Mental Health Partnership

Sandra Crawford, Nurse, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Diane Duguid, Service Manager, Turning Point.

Rosalind Hill, Social Worker, Adolescent Unit, Thorneywood Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Nottingham; member, British Association of Social Workers

Richard Jones, Consultant, Mental Health and Community Law, Morgan Cole Solicitors; Hon. President, Institute of Mental Health Practitioners;

Val Joseph, Carer

Nisar Khan, Awaaz Manchester; Equalites National and the Black Mental Health Network

Christine Lewis, Carer, London Development Centre

Robert McLean, Head of Forensic Social Care, Mersey Care NHS Trust; Chair, ASWIG

Liz Main, Service user

John O'Grady, Consultant forensic psychiatrist, Knowle Hospital, Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust; Chair, Forensic Faculty, Royal College of Psychiatrists

Kamlesh Patel, Mental Health Act Commission, Director of the Department of Health's Mental Health Black and Minority Ethnic Programme

His Honour Judge Derek Stanley

Jim Symington, Programme Director, NIMHE

Linda Van Den Hende, Director, Strategic Disability Team, Metropolitan Police

Jayne Zito, Patron, Zito Trust 6. For further media queries please contact the Department of Health media centre on 020 7210 5724/5229/5239/4984

7. For all other queries, please contact the Department of Health public enquiry line 020 7210 4850.

This is a Press Release from the UK Dept of Health
© Crown copyright 2005