Coronavirus Act may increase the detention of BME people
source: Synergi
published: 14 April 2020
Since 16 March 2020, the UK government has introduced a series of social distancing, social isolation and ‘lockdown’ measures intended to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the NHS by protecting its capacity to provide care for people who become seriously ill as a result of a Covid-19 infection.
These measures have been supported by new legislation, the Coronavirus Act 2020, that received Royal Assent on 25th March 2020. However, the measures are acknowledged to have extremely negative economic, social and psychological impacts that, on average, are judged to be worth the estimated direct health benefits. Inevitably, these economic and social impacts will, in turn, have a negative impact on health.
As the timeline indicates, this legislation was drafted and enacted with minimal opportunity for any debate or scrutiny. Due to the quick turnaround, one element of the legislation that has received almost no comment is the reduced protections provided for patients who are detained under the Mental Health Act.
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