Mental Health Bill 'to cause thousands to be detained'

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http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1965982005

 

Tue 20 Sep 2005

 

Mental Health Bill 'to cause thousands to be detained'

 

NINE times as many people as first thought will be forced to undergo

compulsory mental health treatment under planned reforms in England

and Wales, a new study claims.

 

The draft Mental Health Bill proposes allowing patients to be made to

take medication and detained if necessary. The King's Fund study said

that in 15 years as many as 13,000 could be placed under such orders,

rather than the Government's 1450 figure. But the Government said the

" flawed " study produced incorrect estimates. The bill was first

introduced in 2002

 

Under the 1983 Mental Health Act patients can be sectioned, but only

if their condition is treatable. The new bill, which received 2000

objections when it was first unveiled, proposes allowing people to be

forcibly treated to protect the public.

 

Campaigners say it will make it too easy to detain people who have

mild personality disorders.

 

 

This article:

 

http://www.scotsman.com/?id=1965982005