Mental health act “a missed opportunity”

The UK government's controversial mental health bill was finally passed into law last week. Months of confrontation with the House of Lords and lobbying by pressure groups had ended in substantial concessions by ministers.

The Mental Health Alliance, an umbrella group for 77 organisations, accused ministers of missing “a historic opportunity to achieve a modern and humane act” but welcomed “important concessions to protect patients and their families from abuse and neglect.”

Andy Bell, the alliance's chairman, called on the government to “start listening to the people who are affected by the act when it writes the new regulations and to …