Mental Health
Mental Health Bill 2006 (following extensive review of 1983 Mental Health Act)
- November 2006 the Bishop of Manchester set out the Church's position in the Second Reading debate whenGovernment introduced the new Mental Health Bill.
- November 2004 the Church of England made a submission to the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill. The submission can be accessed here.
- Submissions were made to the Department of Health in 2001 and 2002.
General Synod debates
February 2008 debate on report 'Continuing Issues
in Mental Health' prepared by the Mission & Public Affairs
Council.
- Addressed need to improve mental health services in hospitals and in the community
- Challenged both the Government and Church to deepen their engagement in this area
- Framed within the context of the 2007 Mental Health Act, and called for better treatment of people with mental disorders in relation to the criminal justice system
- Drew attention to the increasingly high profile of spirituality in mental health care.
- Read the motion carried by Synod.
General Synod previously debated the issue of mental health in 2003 with two reports Emerging Issues in Mental Health and Personality Disorder and Human Worth. Copies of Personality Disorder and Human Worth are available from alastair.callcutt@churchofengland.org.
Promoting Mental Health - A Resource for Spiritual
and Pastoral Care
is a flexible tool for use in parishes, in a range of
different groups and situations to trigger discussion and debate.
Feel free to download a copy of this resource
Mental Capacity Bill 2003-4
The Church of England's position was set out in a
letter to The Times newspaper by the Bishop of St Albans on 14
December 2004.
Background
Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament scrutinised the
Government's draft Mental Incapacity Bill. The Church of England
gave evidence to the Committee supporting the overall aims of the
Bill but expressing concern about the possibility that it might
allow euthanasia. In 2004 the Government introduced the Bill, now
known as the Mental Capacity Bill, and the churches continued to
follow its progress critically.
