Website of the Department of Health

Mental Health Act - review and consultations

The Secretary of State for Health announced a wide ranging review of the Mental Health Act 1983 in July 1998. The current Act is primarily concerned with hospital based care and treatment for those suffering from mental disorder and new legislation is needed to support modern health and social care interventions and the changing locus of care to community settings.

An expert committee, chaired by Professor Genevra Richardson of Queen Mary and Westfield College, was appointed to undertake a scoping study of the changes needed to the current legislation. The committee, who reported to Ministers at the Department of Health in July 1999, consulted a wide range of organisations and individuals in formulating their proposals and issued their draft outline proposals to over 350 key stakeholders to consider the practicability of the proposals.

• Reform of the Mental Health Act 1983: Summary of consultation responses
• Reform of the Mental Health Act 1983: proposals for consultation
• Shaping the new Mental Health Act: key messages from the Department of Health research programme
• A systematic review of research relating to the Mental Health Act (1983)
• Review of the Mental Health Act 1983: Report of the Expert Committee
• Press release 22 September 1998: Expert advisor appointed to start review of Mental Health Act