Having our say on the Mental Health Bill
The Mental Health Bill 2024 was first introduced late last year, and represents a crucial step towards fixing the often unequal treatment seen in the Mental Health Act 1983.
31 January 2025
By Sarb Bajwa
We welcomed the introduction of the Bill as a positive step in the right direction, and since it was first proposed we have been working alongside members to develop policies that we would like to see incorporated within it.
We know that stark inequalities exist within our mental health system, and this Bill represents a vital opportunity to address these.
Our public affairs team has worked closely with members on our position on the Bill, initially to develop briefing material for members of the House of Lords at the second reading and committee stage.
On the back of our work with members, we've developed seven key asks that we want to see included within the Bill. These cover areas including detention reform, reducing racial disparities, and the need for the government to conduct a review of the Building the Right Support Action plan to ensure that people with learning disabilities and autism can be supported to live in the community.
You can read more about our asks in an in-depth article on our website.
Changes to mental health legislation can have a significant impact on people, and I believe it is vital that the views and concerns of professional psychologists are heard in this conversation.
Through the collaborative work of our public affairs team, Mental Health Act Advisory Group, and our expert members, we are seeing this happen, and it's good to see that policy makers are taking into account some of the issues that we have raised as they are debated in parliament.
I believe that it is through developing these working relationships with our members that we can have real impact, and there can be no more important example of that than vital reform of the Mental Health Act.
The bill will now continue its passage through parliament – we will continue to keep you updated on its progress, the position with the specific concerns we have raised, and how psychologists are at the forefront of developments.
If you're interested in finding out more about our public affairs team's work, I would recommend reading the monthly update of activity on our website, which covers highlights from across the four nations.