National Assembly to Approve New Welsh Mental Health Law on Tuesday 2nd November
Patients and carers call for focus on care planning
The National Assembly is due to pass a motion to approve the proposed Proposed Mental Health (Wales) Measure next Tuesday (2nd November). The Measure will introduce new mental health laws to Wales and aims to:
● provide mental health services at an earlier stage for individuals who are experiencing mental health problems to reduce the risk of further decline in mental health;
● make provision for care and treatment plans for those in secondary mental health care and ensure those previously discharged from secondary mental health services have access to those services when they believe their mental health may be deteriorating;
● extend mental health advocacy provision beyond that which is currently required.
Following approval of the Measure in at the National Assembly, Royal Approval of the Measure is expected within the next few months.
Sue Barnes, Hafal’s National Service User Champion, said: “This is a historic moment for people with a mental illness and their carers in Wales. The Measure has the potential to give them significant new rights and improve their lives.
“Patients and carers have told me that the main outcome they want from the Measure and regulations is the right to a comprehensive care plan for all people receiving secondary mental health services. If we do get a proper care plan we could have a transforming Measure which will put Wales ahead of other countries in the United Kingdom and beyond.
“We are now calling upon AMs to seek an assurance from the Health and Social Services Minister that regulations will prescribe that care plans must be comprehensive and cover all significant areas of people’s lives. There is still much to play for in getting the right regulations!”