Published 14 September 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3756
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3756

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Mental health charities object to contingency plans for flu epidemic

¹ BMJ

Mental health charities reacted with concern this week in response to government plans to relax mental health safeguards in the event of a worsening flu pandemic.

The Department of Health this week launched a consultation on temporarily changing the Mental Health Act 1983 to mitigate the impact of a possible rise in swine flu cases on mental health services (table).

View this table: [in this window] [in a new window]   The Mental Health Act 1983

 
Proposals include reducing the number of doctors needed to involuntarily detain a patient because of mental ill health; extending or abolishing time limits on specific actions, such as the need for inpatients to receive a second opinion on drugs within three months of admission; and giving a broader range of people, such as retired social workers, the powers of an approved mental health professional.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, the mental health charity, acknowledged that emergency measures should be put in place to ensure that services continue running, even if many mental health staff become too ill too work.

But he emphasised that the proposed measures should be used only as a last resort. "Any proposals that will reduce the number of professionals involved in the sectioning process are concerning. Sectioning effectively deprives people of their liberty, and the reason that a number of professionals are involved is to ensure that the best decision is made for the patient, and no one is detained inappropriately," he said.

Rethink’s chief executive, Paul Jenkins, agreed, saying that the Mental Health Act is a careful balance between individuals’ liberty and the need to compulsorily treat people with mental illness.

"We will be looking closely at the proposals and measuring them against the need for people to access services early even during a pandemic crisis and be protected at the same time."

He also called for more attention to be given to the wider impact that a flu pandemic would have on people with mental illnesses. In particular, he said that people with schizophrenia should get early access to swine flu vaccines because of the high rates of respiratory illness in that population.

"This is just as important as proposals to suspend safeguards under the act," he said.

See www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Mentalhealth/index.htm.

Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3756

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