Black patients to gain stronger rights under new Mental Health Act
source: The Voice Online
published: 23 December 2026
Black patients with severe mental illness are to be better protected thanks to landmark new legislation. The new Mental Health Act has received Royal Assent meaning it is now law, delivering on a key manifesto commitment.
It will reform the outdated Mental Health Act of 1983, which provides the legal framework to detain and treat people in a mental health crisis who are at risk of harm to themselves or others.
Under the new act, the Government say they will tackle the 'unacceptable disparities' that have seen Black people detained at disproportionately high rates.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “For too long, thousands of vulnerable people in mental health crises have been failed by outdated laws that stripped away their dignity and voice.
“The new Mental Health Act will transform lives by putting patients back in control of their care, tackling the unacceptable disparities that have seen Black people detained at disproportionately high rates, and giving NHS staff the tools to deliver care that truly helps people recover."
