The Campaign So Far
After 40 years of tireless campaigning, the Mental Health Act has finally been reformed for the 21st century. The Mental Health Bill received Royal Assent in December 2025 - the final step in the parliamentary process and a landmark moment for mental health rights in England.
Every 10 minutes, someone is detained under the Mental Health Act. The Act is vital as it defines what happens to people at their most vulnerable, when they are in crisis, unwell, and in need of care, compassion and protection.
Rethink Mental Illness has been at the forefront of this journey. For decades, we worked alongside people with lived experience to expose how outdated and unfair the Act had become. Our campaigning helped secure the Independent Review in 2017, and we played a major role throughout its development. In 2019, we delivered hundreds of voices to Downing Street, urging the government to act.
We shaped the government’s White Paper and continuously highlighted the profound impact that detention has on people living with mental illness. We then continued to push for change with the Mental Health Bill landed in 2022. It has taken three more years of determination to reach this moment, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who campaigned with us.
But this is not the end. Change will take time, and people detained today will not see immediate differences. The new Act is progress, but inequalities persist, and more reform is needed. Our next priority is shaping the new Code of Practice to ensure these changes deliver real, lasting improvements for people severely affected by severe mental illness.
Read on for a timeline of the key milestones of our campaign for a new Mental Health Act.