Press Release

Making Decisions Alliance welcomes introduction of the Mental Capacity Act

Issue date: Friday 8 April 2005

The Making Decisions Alliance (MDA), a consortium of charities including Age Concern, Mencap and the Alzheimer’s Society, is celebrating the arrival of new mental capacity legislation for England and Wales.

For three years, the MDA has campaigned solidly for this legislation which will provide a coherent legal framework to support people to make decisions for themselves, including proper recognition of advance refusals of treatment (also known as living wills or advance directives), as well as providing legal safeguards when decisions need to be made on their behalf.

Richard Kramer, co-chair of the MDA, said, “The MDA has worked with the Government, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the Department of Health and a number of the MPs and Peers on this Act. Their willingness to maintain a constructive relationship with the MDA enabled us to have a positive influence in shaping the Act. We look forward to this relationship continuing to ensure the successful implementation of the legislation.”

The Mental Capacity Act, due to come into force in 2007, has passed through extensive pre-legislative and parliamentary scrutiny.

Toby Williamson, co-chair of the MDA, said, “Some of the organisations in the MDA have been campaigning for 15 years to get this legislation in place. At last, this Act will give the 2 million people in England and Wales who lack capacity because of illness, injury or disability, the rights they deserve.”

Ends

Notes to editors

For further information contact Fran Gorman on 020 7803 1128 or David Chater on 020 7553 5200.

Member organisations of the Making Decisions Alliance are: Action on Elder Abuse, Age Concern England, Alzheimer’s Concern Ealing, Alzheimer's Society, Beth Johnson Foundation, Carers UK, Cloverleaf Advocacy, Consumer Forum, Centre Policy on Ageing, The Down’s Syndrome Association, Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, Help The Aged, Horsham Gateway Club, Kent Autistic Trust, Leonard Cheshire, Manic Depression Fellowship, Mencap, The Mental Health Foundation, Mind, Motor Neurone Disease Association, North Staffordshire Users Group, The National Autistic Society, Parents Autism Campaign for Education, Patient Concern, POPAN, The Oaklea Trust, The Relatives and Residents Association, Respond, Rethink, Scope, Sense, Skills for People, The Stroke Association, St Clements Patients Council, Turning Point, United

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