This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Fund a 24-hour NHS mental health helpline and treatment
Mental health care should be as easy to get as getting help for broken arm. Whether you’re grieving or in crisis, 24/7 help from qualified NHS professionals should be there.
More details
It should be a single phone number to call, not simply a list of organsiations who might be able to help. This would give people in crisis somewhere other than A and E to go to.
In period of 8 days my husband was hospitalised twice for suicide attempts & seen by countless doctors with no meds given for immediate symptom relief, and no counselling.
He was told by out of hours mental health team that they couldn’t help him. Next day (8th day) he took his own life. His death was preventable. He needed better mental health treatment.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Related activity
Government urged to strengthen draft Mental Health Bill by parliamentary committee
A group of MPs and members of the House of Lords has published a report looking at the Government's draft Mental Health Bill. They have called for changes to the draft Bill to address rising numbers of people detained under the Mental Health Act and to tackle racial inequalities.
- Read the Committee's report on the draft Mental Health Bill
- Read the report summary
- Read a news story about the report
Specific changes the report calls for include:
- The creation of a new statutory Mental Health Commissioner to monitor mental health reforms
- Including respect for racial equality in the Bill
- Improving how data on detentions under the Mental Health Act is collected and monitored
- Abolishing Community Treatment Orders for civil patients
- Strengthening duties regarding community services for people with learning disabilities and autistic people
- Giving patients who are or have been detained the right to request an advance choice document is drawn up
The report was produced by the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill, a cross-party group of MPs and members from the House of Lords that was appointed to consider the Government's draft Bill to reform the Mental Health Act 1983
What is a draft Bill?
A draft Bill is published to enable 'pre-legislative scrutiny', which is the detailed examination of an early draft of legislation. This is done by a parliamentary select committee before the final Bill is drawn up by the Government.
What happens next?
With the publication of its report the Joint Committee’s work is finished.
The Government now must respond to the committee's report, and draw up a final version of the Mental Health Bill. It is up to the Government when to publish a final version of this Bill, and introduce it in Parliament.
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Mental health treatment and support debated by MPs
On 7 June MPs debated mental health treatment and support. This was an opposition day debate on a motion determined by the Labour party.
During the debate MPs discussed funding and staffing of mental health services, and access to these services.
What are Opposition Days?
Opposition days are days allocated in the House of Commons for the discussion of subjects chosen by the opposition (non-government) parties.
Read a research briefing by the House of Commons Library to find out more about Opposition Day debates.
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Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.