Mental Health

EDM number 1487 in 1994-95, proposed by Alice Mahon on 19/10/1995.

That this House deplores the proposed power to take and convey in the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Bill; notes that this power may be used to convey compulsorily patients living in the community to any place where the patient is required to reside or attend for the purpose of medical treatment, occupation, education or training; further notes that there is no restriction on who can exercise this power which may be used at any time, in any circumstances, with no requirement to inform the patient of the reasons for its use; welcomes the report Care not Coercion, published by the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales, the British Association of Social Workers, the Community Psychiatric Nurses' Association, the Law Society, Liberty, the Mental After Care Association, the Mental Health Foundation, MIND, the Royal College of Nursing, Survivors Speak Out and UNISON, which highlights concerns that this power is unethical, impractical, may drive patients away from services, risks contravening the European Convention on Human Rights and seeks to compel patients to receive services when there is no guarantee that those services will be provided; and calls upon the Secretary of State to remove this power and concentrate on ensuring that mental health needs are met through services and facilities within the community which are adequately funded and properly reflect the philosophy of community care.

This motion has been signed by a total of 80 MPs.