Mental health Bill needs race equality boost

15 Feb 07
The Commission for Racial Equality's decision to investigate the Department of Health has prompted calls for new mental health legislation to be amended to promote racial equality.

16 February 2007

The Commission for Racial Equality's decision to investigate the Department of Health has prompted calls for new mental health legislation to be amended to promote racial equality.

The watchdog has concerns that race impact assessments are not being properly carried out on DoH policies, and last week it announced a formal investigation.

People with mental health needs from black and ethnic minority communities are six times more likely to be compulsorily detained, mental health campaigners say.

Andy Bell, chair of the Mental Health Alliance, told Public Finance that the passage of the Mental Health Bill presented a good opportunity for race equality to be written into law. He said the absence of any race-related measures in the Bill was 'very conspicuous'.

Claire Felix, BME initiatives manager at the mental health charity Rethink, said: 'For mental health services to be truly inclusive, principles of equality and respect for diversity must be included on the face of the Bill, not in the code of practice,' she said.

Announcing the formal investigation on February 7, Anthony Robinson, the CRE's director of legal services and enforcement, said: 'We are concerned about the Department of Health as we have reason to believe that they have not been meeting their obligations under the law. This is worrying, as they shape local health services.'

The Bill is due to be debated in the House of Lords on February 19 before being considered by the House of Commons next month.

PFfeb2007

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