Patients Sectioned under sections 3, 37, 47, 48 and 45A of the Mental Health Act are legally entitled to free aftercare when they leave hospital. This is not an option, it is a legal right, but it is not enforced and there currently no consequences for NHS bodies that negligently, and frequently disregard this legal obligation.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/section/117

Support under section 117 can include: healthcare
social care and employment services
supported accommodation
services to meet social, cultural and spiritual needs – as long as they meet a need that arises from or is related to your mental condition and help reduce the risk of your mental condition getting worse. 

It could include talking therapies such as Cognitive behavioral therapy, or a personal assistant to help with day to day tasks, or access to shops or social activities for vulnerable people who are unable to go out on their own.

Many vulnerable people with serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia are discharged from hospital without adequate care. There are high suicide rates, and recently, avoidable killings by untreated people with serious mental health conditions who are unsupported. This is negligence. and it's already law.

I am petitioning for:

1. mandatory training for psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and social workers across the whole of the UK on their legal obligations under section 117 of the mental health act

2. A mandatory, formal way for recording that patients have had an assessment for S117 aftercare. This could be a form that the patient or nearest relative signs and is given a copy of, detailing the support that they will receive, that is uploaded to the NHS System and recorded. The care quality commission can view these in their inspections, and failure to provide and record S117 aftercare will impact their CQC ratings, and will information stating this will then me made publicly available in their reports.  

3. Legal consequences which could include large fines, compensation for neglected patients and their families, or other victims, and a simple way for patients/carers/solicitors to challenge Section 117 not being adhered to, in court.

The law is already there! But it's not being followed and there are no consequences! Enforcing section 117 of the mental health act would mean better care for people with serious mental health problems, reduced hospital admissions, and lower suicide, homicide, and violence rates by providing them with the care in the community that they are already legally entitled to. This is another national NHS scandal! It's happening every day and there need to be consequences. Failure to enforce this law will mean that there will continue to be avoidable hospitalizations and deaths.

How many people are there with serious mental illness don't have families to fight for them? How many aren't told about their legal right to Section 117 aftercare? How many people are in life long secure wards because of crimes they committed whilst in psychosis that could have been avoided through being given access to care that is their legal right? How many suicides could have been avoided because they didn't get access to their legal right? How many people are homeless because they didn't get their legal right? How many people are in and out of hospital all their lives because they didn't get access to their legal right? How many innocent people have died because someone else didn't get access to their legal right?

The Answer is Thousands. 

Section 117 Aftercare is a legal right. It isn't being implemented by NHS trusts all over the UK and there are no consequences. It needs to be enforced!