February 15, 2004

Health Minister Rosie Winterton has admitted that the revised draft mental health bill will not satsify many of its critics.

"I think we will be able to give a lot of reassurance, but there will be some people who just want a different bill," Ms Winterton told the Guardian newspaper last week.

"They don't want many of the changes we are looking at and are not going to be satisfied by that.

"I think that the way we are working with stakeholders and professionals at the moment is managing to convince them that we are thinking seriously about the points that they have been making. But we are also making sure it is a bill that is practical."

The government has announced that a revised draft mental health bill is to be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee later this year. This committee will then produce a report for the government.

See also:
Jan 12, 2004: Mental health tsar indicates government to specify in more detail the conditions under which people can be detained - "There is no dark government intent behind the bill, says Louis Appleby. "It just did not feel in the end that we had got the right message about the criteria underwhich compulsion powers might be used."
Nov 26, 2003: Revised draft mental health bill to be scrutinised in parliament - ministers promise a code of conduct on how proposed new mental health law should be applied
July 28, 2003: Mental health tsar promises that changes to the draft mental health bill will meet the approval of psychiatrists and other professionals - the national director for mental health also hints that broader criteria for detention will be included in the bill. As for the new health minister Rosie Winterton...she claims the bill will be 'patient-centred'

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