Mental health laws will be reformed in 2005, said the Queen in her annual speech.

Key quotes on health from the Queen's speech, which was made to the House of Lords on Tuesday, are:

• 'My government will continue its reform of the National Health Service, offering more information, power and choice to patients, with equal access for all and free at the point of delivery.'

• 'My government will continue with legislation to provide a statutory framework for dealing with the financial, health and welfare decisions of those people who might lack capacity through mental illness or disability.'

• 'Measures to reform the law on mental health will continue to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny.'

• 'My government will introduce legislation to tackle the problem of drug abuse and the crime that flows from it, and will tackle the disorder and violence that can arise from the abuse of alcohol.'

The mental health reforms come under two bills:

1. The Mental Capacity Bill, which carries over from the last session, is to create a statutory framework for making decisions about the health and welfare of those who are unable, because of mental illness or disability, to make such choices for themselves. The committee reviewing this draft will report in March.

Proposals include:

• Allowing people to make 'living wills' that refuse treatment if they become unable to make choices for themselves
• Those who put the public at risk, are suicidal or are at risk of neglect will always receive treatment
• Doctors will have to confirm that planned treatment is clinically sound and it will be reviewed every 28 days
• Patients in England and Wales will be able to name a carer who will decide their treatment and welfare
• Wilfully neglecting or ill-treating a person lacking capacity will carry a sentence of five years

2. The Mental Health Bill (Draft) is said to be the most extensive reform to mental health legislation since the 1950s.

Community pharmacists in England and Wales will be working on a new contract from 1 April 2005.

The go-ahead was given after a ballot showed overwhelming support this week.

In England, 74 per cent of pharmacies voted, of which 92 per cent were in favour. In Wales, 75 per cent of pharmacies took part in the ballot, of which 95 per cent voted for the new contract.

Health Secretary John Reid welcomed the news, saying:

‘From April, patients will gain a better, more flexible service from their local pharmacist and a broader range of services such as smoking cessation and healthy living advice. This deal is part of a bigger reform agenda where more health services are provided by a more diverse range of providers, giving greater choice for patients and more convenient access to services.’

A new survey shows a disturbing picture of Welsh health, with almost half of all adults drinking more than they should and 58 per cent not eating properly.

Findings of The Welsh health survey include:

Drinking

• taking more than 3-4 units of alcohol (men) or more than 2-3 units (women) in a day: 41 per cent of adults

Nutrition

• just 37 per cent of adults had eaten the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables the previous day
• 58 per cent had eaten between one and five portions the previous day

Activity

• 30 per cent of adults do the recommended 30 minutes of activity five days a week
• more men meet guidelines than women
• proportions meeting the guidelines decreases with age

Weight

• healthy weight: 43 per cent of adults
• overweight: 37 per cent (body mass index of 25 or more)
• obese: 17 per cent (body mass index of 30 or more)

Smoking

• smokers: 26 per cent of adults
• former smokers: 27 per cent
• never smoked: 45 per cent
• non-smoker but frequently exposed to smoke: 72 per cent

Long-term illness

• Among adults 28 per cent indicated that they were limited by long-term illness. For children, the figure was 5 per cent.

• For adults, the illnesses included:
  • heart conditions or high blood pressure: 22 per cent
  • arthritis: 14 per cent
  • respiratory illness: 13 per cent
  • back pain: 12 per cent

Jane Hutt, Welsh Health and Social Services Minister said: 'These figures show the scale of the challenge ahead. That’s why I urge everyone — people and organisations — to respond to Health challenge Wales and take action to improve our nation’s health.'

Health challenge Wales was published in February and describes the nation's commitment to better health.

Alun Pugh, Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport — who is encouraging greater participation in active recreation in response to Health challenge Wales — said: 'We need to get people into the habit of being involved in regular physical activity, through sport, active recreation and building physical activity into everyday lives. These figures are ample testimony to the need to mobilise the energies of everyone in Wales to help create a healthier, fitter nation.'

Also in Wales this week, a meeting sponsored by the joint professional forum for health and wellbeing discussed early intervention.

Topics chewed over at the prevention symposium included:

• promoting mental health and preventing mental illness
• youth smoking prevention
• obesity
• sexual health
• the Wanless prevention agenda
• reducing inequalities suffered by Gypsy travellers
• green gyms (encouraging people to exercise by doing conservation work)
• preventing healthcare associated infections

The list of PCTs to provide NHS-accredited health trainers and enhanced smoking cessation services has been revealed.

Almost 90 of the most health-deprived PCT areas in England are to benefit from these new measures, as announced in last week’s public health White Paper. These ‘spearhead’ PCTs, as Health Secretary John Reid called them, were identified by their cancer mortality, heart disease and life expectancy rates.

Over a quarter of the population is covered, including large urban areas such as Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and parts of London.

Ninety per cent of Scottish people are satisfied with their health service, an independent NOP survey has revealed.

‘I am pleased that the NHS is held in such high regard by the people it serves.’ Health Minister Andy Kerr said. ‘But this also shows the need to accelerate new ways of working to make improvements. We have still got a lot of work to tackle waiting times, especially for outpatients.’

In response to the survey, Mr Kerr pledged to accelerate the roll-out of new patient-focused booking systems.

Survey findings

• 90 per cent are very or fairly satisfied with NHS Scotland
• Satisfaction ratings have not dropped when compared to a similar survey conducted in 2000
• Patients do not mind seeing nurses instead of GPs
• 75 per cent believe the public have little or no influence in the way the NHS is run (with 86 per cent believing that the public should have a say on policy)

The survey was carried out between March and April 2004, with 2,600 people questioned.