Anna Dixon MP speaks in debate on Mental Health Bill
- jamieparkinson2001
- Oct 12, 2025
- 2 min read
Anna Dixon MP for Shipley has today spoken up for her constituents in the House of Commons debate on the Mental Health Bill.
In her speech, Anna Dixon MP said: "I am no expert on mental health law, but I do have decades of experience in the health and care sector, and my sister is a psychiatrist. I know that the decision to detain someone with severe mental illness is never taken lightly, and that psychiatrists must weigh up a range of factors and information to come to a final decision.
"I tabled amendments 43, 44 and 45 and new clause 34 after a number of conversations with the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which has expressed concern about the wording used in the detention criteria.
"Taken together, the purpose of my amendments is to ensure that the detention criteria are aligned with good clinical practice. It is important that they are reflected in the primary legislation, rather than simply relying on a code of practice. They would remove from the detention criteria mention of the terms “likelihood” or “may be caused” to allow psychiatrists to make a straightforward, holistic assessment of individual risk in the context of significant mental disorder.
"The risk is that “likelihood” suggests that it is possible for clinicians to predict serious harms such as violence or suicide when it is not possible to do so, while the idea of causation neglects the fact that complex background conditions can be the genesis of a harm.
"There is a risk, too, that the language may lead to preventive detention—more detention, not less. It is always easier with hindsight, when unexpected harms have happened, to oversimplify causation and ask, “Why was this person not detained?
"It is critical that those tasked with interpreting detention criteria feel comfortable with what they are interpreting. I believe that the Bill, in its current form, risks inadvertently leading to defensive practice, which, as we know, is not usually good-quality care. I hope that the Minister will explain how he will ensure that the detention criteria, as drafted, will not lead to those unintended consequences. Of course, I welcome the fact that the Bill puts into Toggle showing location ofColumn 319practice the principles of the Wessely review, and in particular the aim of reducing detention in favour of supporting more people in the community.
"However, there will always be instances in which people do need to be detained in an in-patient setting, so investment in those facilities is vital.
"I am delighted that Lynfield Mount hospital in my constituency has recently secured funding to implement a fantastic plan to upgrade its in-patient facilities, which will help to ensure that people are treated closer to home, get support to recover, maintain relationships with family, friends and colleagues, and restart their lives after detention. I commend the amendments to the Minister."
