The British Journal of Nursing, in January 1930,
summarised the bill as it left the House of Lords:
The Mental Treatment Bill
Earl Russell's Mental Treatment Bill has passed its third
reading in the House of Lords.
It is intituled :-
"An Act to amend the Lunacy Acts, 1890 to 1922, and
such of the provisions of the Mental Deficiency Acts, 1913
to 1927, as relate to the constitution and organisation of the
work of the Board of Control, the exercise of the powers
of the Board and the protection of persons putting those
Acts into operation."
It includes some important provisions.
It provides for the reception of voluntary boarders, and
for treatment without certification of persons temporarily
incapable of volition, under certain safeguards :-
(i) In an institution provided by a local authority ; or
(ii) In a registered hospital ; Or
(iii) In any such other institution, hospital or nursing
home as may be approved by the Board of Control for the
reception of such temporary patients ; or
(iv) With the consent of the Board of Control, in single
care.
Provision is made for the re-organisation of the Board
of Control, which it is proposed shall consist of the chairman
(who shall be a paid commissioner) and not more than four
other commissioners, all of whom shall be paid commissioners.
Of the members of the Board of Control other than the
chairman one at least shall be a legal commissioner, one at
least shall be a medical commissioner, and one at least shall
be a woman.
The members of the Board of Control shall be styled
senior commissioners and shall be appointed by His Majesty
on the recommendation, as regards the legal commissioners,
of the Lord Chancellor and, as respects the other commissioners, on the
recommendation of the Minister of Health,
and shall hold office during His Majesty's pleasure.
The Board may make rules prescribing the books and
records to be kept in any institution, hospital, nursing-
home or house which receives any patient under this Act
or any boarder under this Act or any local Act and prescribing in relation
to such institutions, hospitals, homes or
houses any of the other matters with respect to which rules
map be made under subsection (I) of section 335 of the
principal Act.
It is also provided that Asylums provided or to be provided
under the Lunacy Acts, 1890 to 1922, by any local authority
in England shall hereafter be called, and are in this Act
referred to as, mental hospitals.
The Bill is Mental Treatment (No. 60) H.L. Price 6d.
Obtainable from His Majesty's Stationery Office, Adastral
House, Kingsway, London, W.C., or through any bookseller.
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