Draft Mental Health Bill 2022

The government is publishing a draft Mental Health Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny, to modernise the Mental Health Act for the 21st century.

Draft Mental Health Bill (print version)

Draft Mental Health Bill: explanatory notes

Draft Mental Health Bill: impact assessment

Memorandum from DHSC and MoJ to the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee

This draft bill delivers on 2 government manifesto commitments:

• to reform the Mental Health Act
• to improve the way that people with a learning disability and autistic people are treated in law

This draft legislation is intended to give effect to the policy approaches outlined in Sir Simon Wessely’s landmark independent review in 2018. These were subsequently taken forward in the government’s white paper Reforming the Mental Health Act in 2021.

These are once-in-a-generation reforms, to give people greater control over their treatment and help ensure they receive the dignity and respect they deserve.