Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 Parts 2 and 3

The Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 is a law passed by the National Assembly for Wales. It is about the support that should be available for people with mental health problems in living Wales. 

The Measure is intended to ensure that where mental health services are delivered, they focus more appropriately on people’s individual needs. The measure has four main parts and each places new legal duties on Local Health Boards and Local Authorities to improve service delivery. The four Parts are as follows. 

• Part 1 seeks to ensure more mental health services are available within primary care. 

• Part 2 gives all people who receive secondary mental health services the right to have a Care and Treatment Plan. 

• Part 3 gives all adults who are discharged from secondary mental health services the right to refer themselves back to those services. 

• Part 4 offers every in-patient access to the help of an independent mental health advocate. 

Whilst it’s important for people with mental health problems and their families to have an understanding of the main points of the measure. The information that follows will concentrate on the support you are now legally entitled to under Part 2 and 3 of the Mental Health Measure.  

PART 2 – CARE COORDINATION AND TREATMENT PLANNING IN MENTAL HEALTH SECONDARY SERVICES 

Part 2 places duties on service providers (Health Boards and Local Authorities) to act in a coordinated manner to improve the effectiveness of the mental health services they provide, and it gives people who receive secondary mental health services two essential new rights: 

• the right to have a Care Coordinator appointed to work with them to coordinate their care and treatment, and 

• the right to an individual and comprehensive Care and Treatment Plan to assist their recovery. 

PART 3 – ASSESSMENTS OF FORMER USERS OF SECONDARY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 

Part 3 of the Measure is to make it easier for people who have been discharged from secondary mental health services to re-access those services again. When you are discharged from secondary mental health services you have a three year period should you believe your mental health is deteriorating to the point where you need specialist care and treatment again, to refer directly back to secondary services, without first having to see a GP or go elsewhere for a referral.