Published On: 17 January 2021Tags:

The Government launched a White Paper on reforming the Mental Health Act on 13th January 2021. It sets out the key proposals and considerations for the government in reforming the Act, addressing the growing use of detention and persistent racial inequalities, as well as taking account of developments in policy and practice on a wider range of issues such as the intersection of learning disability and mental health. The White Paper follows the Review of the Mental Health Act led by Sir Simon Wessely, which the Foundation was a part of.

This paper summarises the specific proposals relating to race equality, followed by an analysis of how this compares to the recommendations the Foundation made in its Mental Health and Racial Disparities report from 2019, and then highlighting areas which the White Paper currently does not address.

We would urge people and organisations to respond to the White Paper and provide feedback on the proposals being made,  as well as others that need to be included.

Read our full comment on the White Paper here.