Black people in Greater Manchester are more than twice as likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act as white people, figures show.

Under the Mental Health Act 1983, people with a mental disorder who are deemed at risk of harm to themselves or others may be formally detained in hospital – or “sectioned”.

The Mental Health Bill seeks to amend the Act by tightening detention criteria, limiting the period people with autism or a learning disability can be detained and removing prisons and police stations as “places of safety”.

NHS England figures show 3,285 detentions were recorded in the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board area in 2024-25, an average of 112.8 detentions per 100,000 people.

Black people in Greater Manchester are more than twice as likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act as white people

placeholder image — Black people in Greater Manchester are more than twice as likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act as white people

While 91.7 per 100,000 white people were detained, it stood at 79.6 per 100,000 for Asian people. However, it was 156.1 per 100,000 for those with a mixed ethnic background and 216.2 per 100,000 for black people. Across England, 52,731 detentions were recorded in 2024-25, an average of 90 per 100,000 people.

The rate stood at 66.8 per 100,000 for white people and 85.7 per 100,000 for Asian people, and jumped to 122 per 100,000 for people with a mixed ethnic background and 256.7 per 100,000 for black people.

This means black people were 3.8 times as likely as their white counterparts to be detained, up from 3.4 times the year before.

NHS England said the data is incomplete and counts and rates are lower than the true figures.

Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, said: "These shameful figures show the human cost of inaction on mental health.

"The racial inequalities in mental health crisis care are longstanding but the fact they are worsening is a shocking indictment of the UK Government.

"Mental health services are failing black people."

Alexa Knight, director of England at the Mental Health Foundation, said: "Everyone deserves fair and compassionate treatment when experiencing a mental health crisis. We urge the Government to act swiftly to address these longstanding injustices."

The figures also show detention rates varied depending on deprivation – there was an average of 41.4 detentions per 100,00 people in the least deprived population in England, compared to 150.3 detentions per 100,000 people in the most deprived.

Those in the most deprived decile of the population were 3.7 times more likely than those in the least deprived decile to be detained.

In Greater Manchester, these figures stood at 39.6 per 100,000 people for the least deprived decile and 164.5 per 100,000 people for the most deprived.

An NHS spokesperson said: "These ethnic disparities are unacceptable, and the NHS is taking action to reduce racial inequalities for people with mental health – this year all mental health providers are required to report on work to implement concrete actions to reduce racial inequality within their services."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "There are significant and concerning racial disparities in the rates of detention under the Mental Health Act, sometimes caused by stigma and inequality of access to care.

"That is why we are modernising the Mental Health Act to ensure people with the most severe mental health conditions get better, more personalised treatment, regardless of their ethnic background."