Website of the Department of Health

About Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health

Research shows that people from BME communities can suffer from inequalities in access to mental health services, in their experience of those services, and in the outcome of those services. For example, BME patients are significantly more likely to be detained compulsorily or diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The Department of Health, in conjunction with other key stakeholders, is developing a comprehensive programme of work to tackle those inequalities. An important part of the programme is implementation of Delivering race equality in mental health care – an action plan for reform inside and outside services (DRE). DRE was published on 11 January 2005, along with the Government’s response to the independent inquiry into the death of David Bennett.

The BME Mental Health Programme is an integral part of the Department’s wider programme for race equality in the NHS.