The government’s Mental Health Bill has passed its third reading in the House of Commons, marking a major step towards updating legislation first introduced in 1983. The reforms aim to reduce the number of people with learning disabilities and autistic people being detained in mental health hospitals, shifting the focus towards community-based support and person-centred care.
The Bill proposes greater oversight of compulsory detention and introduces statutory care and treatment plans to ensure patients have a clear route to recovery and discharge. Health Minister Stephen Kinnock announced a new package of measures, including improved community services, education and treatment reviews, and dynamic support registers. It also strengthens safeguards for individuals who cannot consent to treatment, ensuring earlier involvement of an independent second opinion.
Kinnock said the changes reflect modern attitudes toward mental health and will prioritise patient choice and dignity. Reforms include clinical checklists, advance choice documents, nominated persons, and extended advocacy services. Once approved, the next step will be to consult on the code of practice with people who have lived experience, families, and professionals.
Campaigners have welcomed the focus on community care, particularly for over 2,000 autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities currently detained. However, they stress urgent action is needed to prevent unnecessary hospitalisation and ensure the reforms deliver meaningful change.
A coalition of leading health and disability organisations has warned that learning disability nursing in England is on the brink of collapse, risking more preventable deaths among people with learning disabilities. In a joint letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, groups including the Royal College of Nursing, Mencap, the Down’s Syndrome Association, and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation urged the Government to urgently recommit to the training and recruitment targets outlined in the NHS Workforce Plan.
The organisations called for renewed investment in training, financial support for students, and funding for employers to cover the cost of apprenticeships and staff backfill. They warned that without action, the profession faces an unsustainable future. The number of learning disability nurses has already fallen by 43% since 2009, with projections showing only a handful likely to qualify in England by 2028. Course closures at universities such as Winchester and Keele have left some regions with no training provision at all.
Campaigners pointed to the latest Learning from Lives and Deaths Review (LeDeR), which found that people with learning disabilities die nearly 20 years earlier than average and are twice as likely to experience preventable deaths.
Mencap’s chief executive Jon Sparkes OBE said the situation was critical, warning that without urgent intervention “this profession will disappear,” and calling for an emergency meeting with ministers to agree a rescue plan.
As autumn settles in, many across the UK are battling coughs, colds, and sniffles - but are chilly temperatures really to blame? According to Dr Oscar Duke, a GP and TV presenter, it’s not the cold itself but our tendency to retreat indoors that fuels the spread. Enclosed spaces create the perfect environment for viruses to circulate, particularly in schools, nurseries, and university halls where close contact is unavoidable.
Distinguishing between a cold, flu, or Covid can be tricky as symptoms often overlap. Colds usually come on gradually, affecting the nose and throat, while flu strikes suddenly with fever, fatigue, and body aches. Covid, however, can cause loss of taste or smell and, in newer strains such as Stratus and Nimbus, a sharp sore throat and digestive upset. Dr Duke advises resting at home but urges those with breathing difficulties or lingering symptoms to seek medical help.
Recovery can be aided by simple remedies. Paracetamol or ibuprofen help ease fever and pain, and staying hydrated is vital. While vitamin C offers limited benefit, vitamin D supplements are recommended during darker months. Decongestant sprays can relieve stuffiness but should only be used for a few days to avoid rebound congestion.
Finally, Dr Duke stresses the importance of vaccination. The NHS flu jab is free for eligible groups, including young children and vulnerable adults, and remains the best defence against severe seasonal illness.
More than one billion people worldwide are now living with mental health disorders, according to new figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO). Conditions such as anxiety and depression are widespread, affecting all communities and age groups, and are a major contributor to disability, rising health costs, and lost productivity. The WHO is calling for urgent investment to expand services, warning that mental health must be treated as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.
The organisation’s latest reports – World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024 – highlight both progress and persistent shortcomings. While many governments have strengthened policies and introduced community-based programmes, spending has stagnated at just 2% of health budgets worldwide. Huge inequalities remain, with high-income nations spending up to $65 per person on mental health compared with only a few cents in poorer countries. Staffing shortages are also critical, particularly in low- and middle-income regions.
Suicide continues to pose a devastating challenge, with more than 700,000 lives lost in 2021. Current progress suggests the UN target of cutting suicide rates by one-third by 2030 will not be met. Depression and anxiety alone are estimated to cost the global economy over $1 trillion annually.
The WHO is urging governments to step up legal reforms, increase funding, and expand access to community-based care. It argues that scaling up mental health support would not only save lives but also strengthen societies and economies worldwide.
The government has confirmed a £500 million investment to deliver England’s first Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care workers, aiming to tackle low pay and poor working conditions in a sector long criticised as undervalued. A new statutory body will be established to bring unions and employers together, tasked with negotiating wages and working conditions, as well as improving recruitment and retention. The plans, underpinned by the Employment Rights Bill, will see the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body created in 2026, with the first Fair Pay Agreement expected to take effect in 2028.
The Fair Work Agency will also be introduced to strengthen enforcement, ensuring providers comply with new standards and preventing exploitation. The £500m sits within a wider £4bn boost for adult social care between 2025-26 and 2028-29, though critics argue it will not stretch far enough. Early analysis suggests the sum could equate to only a modest uplift in hourly pay when shared across the sector’s 1.5 million-strong workforce.
Sector leaders have welcomed the move but caution that meaningful reform requires more than headline funding. The Care Provider Alliance and the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group have both stressed the importance of fully resourced negotiations and local authority support to prevent rising costs being passed on to service users.
Think tanks, including the Health Foundation and the King’s Fund, warn that while the Fair Pay Agreement is an important first step, sustained long-term funding is essential. Without it, they argue, any gains in pay risk being offset by higher care fees or cuts to frontline services.
