The draft regulations for the Mental Health Measure have been published (see this link), including the all-important format for Care and Treatment Plans. These Plans are the most important, substantive right which the new Measure accords to all patients receiving secondary mental health services so it is vital to get this right.
At a glance and following discussion with a few activists there is agreement that there is much to commend the draft but it is not by any means water-tight. In particular it is still possible to "complete" the form without ensuring that all important areas are covered; there is also a bit of a "disconnect" between the recording of outcomes (mainly long-term goals or ojectives) and the actions which will be taken to achieve them (short-term steps). We need to relate actions very specifically to the outcomes in order to ensure that all the longer-term outcomes are being targeted by specific actions this month, next month etc. Our service user champion Sue Barnes is doing a briefing so watch this space...
