The commission is currently assisting people detained under the island's Mental Health Act.
- author, alex blake
- role, BBC Isle of Man
The oversight committee is calling for its powers to be expanded to better support people detained under the Isle of Man's Mental Health Act.
The Mental Health Commission examines, adjudicates and makes recommendations regarding Manx Care complaints.
Members of the group gave evidence to the Public Accounts Committee this week.
Lay MP Ian Buxton said there were elements of the Mental Health Act 1998 that needed updating “particularly in relation to deprivation of liberty”.
He said: “We only have responsibility for patients who are detained under the Manx Mental Health Act.”
This prevented the committee from fully vetting patients who travel off-island for needs that cannot be treated locally, he added.
“Investing in mental health care”
Mr Buxton outlined the committee's mandate to oversee what happens at the hospital.
It is “primarily about ensuring patient safety, that mental health laws are applied appropriately, that medicines are administered safely when prescribed, and that people are detained fairly and with a right of review when they are detained. “It was to make sure they were safely detained,” he said. He said.
But he said there were a number of areas where the committee's work was restricted: “Although there are no psychiatric care homes on the Isle of Man, there are patients who receive mental health care and are discharged to care homes.” he added. .
Currently, the commission “does not have the right to review that accommodation,” he said.
He said the commission wanted to “expand” services to support those in need who are currently untreated on the island, adding: “Mental health is becoming more difficult. He added that there were “signals from the local community”.
Therefore, “even more investment in mental health care may be desirable in the future.”
Mr Buxton said there were “some changes” afoot that would affect the “scale and scope” of the commission's powers, but there would be “a lack of scrutiny” until the “legal framework” changed. .
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