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Proposed new laws will unnecessarily restrict liberty and fail to produce better outcomes according to the Scottish Association for Mental Health, and 46 other organisations which launched a campaign on the new Mental Health (Scotland) Bill.

While the alliance of organisations welcome many aspects of the bill they are calling on the Scottish executive to amend certain proposals.

Of greatest concern to the campaign is the proposal to create additional powers of compulsion over those living in the community. According to the alliance, experience elsewhere, particularly Australia, has demonstrated that additional compulsory powers simply do not work.

Commenting on the proposal Shona Barcus, SAMH Chief Executive, said: "Before we go about giving the state additional powers to restrict people’s liberty we must be sure that there is strong supporting evidence, and in the case of compulsory treatment in the community this is simply not the case."

Nigel Henderson, chief executive of Scottish mental health charity Penumbra, said: "As a major provider of community based mental health services, Penumbra's concern is that some aspects of the proposed legislation will simply reinforce the stigma and discrimination attached to mental illness."

Andy Chetty, spokesperson for the Community Psychiatric Nurses Association in Scotland, said: "The Mental Health Bill will contain new powers that may disadvantage mental health service users in their freedom to exercise choices. Once powers are incorporated in the act they could remain for decades before there is another review."

Other aspects of the bill which the alliance is campaigning on include the right to advocacy by all mental health service users, no psychosurgery without consent under any circumstances and a wider range of community-based services to ensure that compulsion is only used when absolutely necessary.

www.samh.org.uk