Good Community Facilities are key to tackling Mental Health issues says Lib Dem

2.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 20th Apr 2005

Andrew Simpson with Darren Pocock (MACA Project Mananger)

Liberal Democrat candidate for Northampton North Andrew Simpson has visited MACA, a mental health charity that has a number of facilities located around the town.

"Mental health problems according to the charity Rethink affect more than one in four people (28%) and yet mental health services are struggling with lack of resources" said Andrew "There is a real need to reform the 1983 Mental Health Bill to improve services and also to tackle the stigma that is attached to mental health problems. MACA is an excellent example of partnership working that supports people with mental health problems by providing good accessible facilities in the community"

Liberal Democrats are critical of the Government's proposals outlined in the draft Mental Health Bill as being too focused on the Home Office Security agenda rather than on improving mental health facilities.

Lib Dems propose:

• A new mental health bill that safeguards the rights and welfare of people with mental health problems including:

• The principle of reciprocity must be included - so where there is a compulsion (i.e. somebody has to be sectioned) there is an entitlement to appropriate care and independent appeal.

• Allowing patients to nominate a person to act on their behalf and to have advance statements

• A guarantee of access to trained advocacy

• Encourage regular health "MoTs" to pick up on health problems before somebody becomes ill

• Raise mental health services onto an equal footing with mainstream provision

"This government seems to be focusing on the security problems associated with some people suffering from mental health problems what we need to be doing is ensuring that the law protects and improves services for patients, not a means to demonise those with mental health problems" said Andrew