The Department of Health today launches a 12-week public
consultation on the draft revised Code of Practice to the Mental
Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.
The consultation, running from 30 September 2025 to 29 December
2025, seeks views from stakeholders, including people with lived
experience, carers, families, health and social care
professionals, PSNI, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, advocacy
services, and academics, to ensure the Code reflects modern
mental health practices and promotes patient rights.
The revised Code provides updated statutory guidance for
professionals on the care, treatment, and rights of individuals
under the 1986 Order. It reflects human rights standards,
promotes person-centred care, and enhances inter-agency
collaboration, aligning with the Bamford Review's principles and
the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.
Health Minister, , said: “This
consultation is a vital step towards ensuring our mental health
framework is modern, inclusive, and person-centred.
“The revised Code of Practice will support professionals
in delivering high-quality care while protecting the rights of
those with mental health needs. I encourage everyone with an
interest, particularly those with lived experience, to share
their views and help shape this important guidance.”
Justice Minister, , said: “I wish to
express my full support for this important work, which seeks to
improve services for individuals within our communities who are
experiencing mental health difficulties. It is of paramount
importance that the public consultation receives widespread
engagement, ensuring that the views of service users, carers,
professionals, and the wider community are appropriately captured
and reflected in the development of future policy and service
delivery."
, Regional Service User
Consultant, said: “As a person who has been detained in a Mental
Health Inpatient Unit in Northern Ireland, I welcomed the
opportunity to share power with professionals as equals in the
coproduction of this Code. The result has been to create a
fairer, more balanced, interpretation of the Mental Health Order.
This review was not designed by systems but by people.
“People living with mental health challenges and their carers'
and families' experience of the care and treatment they have
received under the Mental Health Order has guided the revision of
the Code. I strongly encourage service users and their
friends and relatives to contribute their views and needs via
this important public consultation.”
How to respond:
There are three options available for response:
Online: Submit your response at. https://consultations2.nidirect.gov.uk/doh-1/consultation-code-of-practice-mho
Email or post: Download the consultation document from the
Department of Health website at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations
and send it to: email: MCAimplementation@health-ni.gov.uk
or post: Mental Capacity Act Unit, Department of Health, Room
D2.10, Castle Buildings, Belfast BT4 3SQ
Notes to Editors:
1. The Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 provides the
legal framework for the care, treatment, and rights of
individuals with mental disorders, including provisions for
compulsory admission, guardianship, and treatment. The associated
Code of Practice offers statutory guidance to professionals
including Health and Social Care Trusts, PSNI and the Northern
Ireland Ambulance Service and is considered best practice. The
revised Code reflects modern mental health practices, human
rights standards, and lessons from Serious Adverse Incidents,
promoting inter-agency collaboration and person-centred care.
