Functions
The Commission was a monitoring body rather than an inspectorate or regulator. Its concern was primarily the legality of detention and the protection of individuals' human rights. In addition to a visiting programme, the Commission provided important safeguards to patients who lack capacity or refuse to consent to treatment, through the Second Opinion Appointed Doctor Service.
Its functions were:
- to keep under review the operation of the Mental Health Act 1983 in respect of patients detained or liable to be detained under that Act
- to visit and interview, in private, patients detained under the Mental Health Act in hospitals and mental nursing homes
- to consider the investigation of complaints where these fall within the Commission's remit
- to review decisions to withhold the mail of patients detained in the High Security Hospitals
- to appoint registered medical practitioners and others to give second opinions in cases where this is required by the Mental Health Act
- to publish and lay before Parliament a report every 2 years
- to monitor the implementation of the Code of Practice and propose amendments to Ministers
In addition, the Commission was encouraged by the Secretary of State to advise on policy matters that fall within the Commission's remit.
Read more about this topic: Mental Health Act Commission
Famous quotes containing the word functions:
“Let us stop being afraid. Of our own thoughts, our own minds. Of madness, our own or others’. Stop being afraid of the mind itself, its astonishing functions and fandangos, its complications and simplifications, the wonderful operation of its machinery—more wonderful because it is not machinery at all or predictable.”
—Kate Millett (b. 1934)
“The English masses are lovable: they are kind, decent, tolerant, practical and not stupid. The tragedy is that there are too many of them, and that they are aimless, having outgrown the servile functions for which they were encouraged to multiply. One day these huge crowds will have to seize power because there will be nothing else for them to do, and yet they neither demand power nor are ready to make use of it; they will learn only to be bored in a new way.”
—Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)
“Adolescents, for all their self-involvement, are emerging from the self-centeredness of childhood. Their perception of other people has more depth. They are better equipped at appreciating others’ reasons for action, or the basis of others’ emotions. But this maturity functions in a piecemeal fashion. They show more understanding of their friends, but not of their teachers.”
—Terri Apter (20th century)