MEMBERS of Eastleigh and District Mind will tomorrow be joining hundreds of people at a mass lobby of the Houses of Parliament.

They will be campaigning over the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act.

The lobby, "Rights not Compulsion", has been organised by the Mental Health Alliance, a group of more than 50 organisations working in mental health.

It is calling on the government to use new legislation to improve services for people experiencing mental health problems by:

Giving people the right to have their needs assessed and met

Providing better services, thus reducing the need for compulsory powers

Providing independent advocates to help people secure the services they need

Recognising advance statements on care made by people with mental health problems

Glenda Philpott-Kimber, who chairs Eastleigh and District Mind, said: "At this moment one in four people in the UK will be experiencing mental health problems.

"We want to ensure that everybody gets

the good mental health services they

need, when they need them, and that they

are kept informed, involved and treated no less than people with physical health problems.

"It is time we brought our mental health services into the 21st century."

Anybody interested in finding out more about the campaign can contact Marisa McClelland, manager of Eastleigh and District Mind, on 023 8061 1475 or Lorraine Burton of Rethink on 023 8021 0276.