As promised, the government overturned the last of the
amendments made by peers to the
Mental Health Bill last week when it
rejected plans to impose strict criteria over the use of
compulsory community treatment.
Peers voted in February to restrict the use of community
treatment orders to people who would otherwise be in and out of
hospital but the government used its majority on the Commons bill
committee to reverse the amendment.
The government also overturned an
amendment made by peers which would have
prevented children under 18 being placed on adult psychiatric
wards .
But Health Minister Rosie Winterton told the committee that she
would reconsider the issue and come back with new proposals once
the bill enters its report stage, likely to be later this
month.
Charity Young Minds said all the committee members wanted to see
children treated appropriately and said it was “hopeful” that
Winterton would come back with positive proposals.
Winterton told a Commons debate: “I want to ensure that we get
the services right, and that any legislation that we introduce does
not create a perverse incentive for children not to get treatment
because a clinician feels that what he wants to do is
unlawful.”
The government has already overturned amendments which would
have ensured people detained were likely to benefit from their
treatment and would have introduced measures to prevent people
being detained unless their judgment was impaired.
Related
items
Government overturns Mental Health Bill proposal to prevent
under-18s being placed in adult psychiatric wards
The Mental Health Bill: How proper support will make compulsory
treatment orders unnecessary
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Mental health