The Mental Capacity Act 2005 Easy Read
The Mental Capacity Act 2005
The Mental Capacity Act says no one should assume a person cannot make decisions for themselves.
It says people should have support to make their own decisions about their lives.
For example, health care staff in hospital should give people information about their treatment in a way they can understand.
The Mental Capacity Act says people are allowed to make unwise decisions.
Unwise means making a bad choice.
Someone might lack capacity if they have a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. , dementia or a physical health problem, for example.
Lack capacity means someone cannot understand or make their own choice.
If someone lacks capacity, other people have a duty to make the decision for them in the person's best interests.
Best interest means doing what is safest, happiest, and right for a person.
The person should still be involved Involved is being included in something or taking part in something. as much as possible in making the decision and the decision must be the less restrictive option.
Less restrictive means giving people the most freedom possible by using very few rules or limits.
This Easy Read Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing. was first produced as a PDF in 2020.
This version of that Easy Read was first published in July 2026.
Last updated 09/07/2026.