Rights have dominated political discourse this past week with the Tories plan to abolish the Human Rights Act looking likely to be a huge issue in the coming months.

Rights in Holyrood should be debated this coming week in another way: the rights of patients and those affected by mental illness.

Today, the Health and Sport committee will scrutinise the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill.

The Bill will be the first opportunity to actively improve and modernise the legislative framework that has served mental health in this country for more than12 years. At its heart simply must be an understanding of patient rights.

The 2003 Mental Health Care and Treatment Act was delivered by the last Labour-led administration and stewarded by my colleague Malcolm Chisholm as health minister.

This Act was the first mental illness legislation developed from principles proposed by the Millan commission in Scotland and not just adapted from Westminster legislation for England and Wales. Indeed our Act was largely copied in England some years later.

It was passed after two days of debate in Holyrood and voting on more than 750 amendments. It remains one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament.

That Act created a legal framework designed to put patients first, with more influence over their care and treatment.

Twelve years on, we need to be every bit as bold on patients' rights. Unfortunately the SNP's bill as proposed at present is nowhere near that.

I have tabled some 50 amendments to the Bill in the hope of improving the voice of patients in treatment; I particularly want to see the role of independent advocacy increased and strengthened within the system.

I support the recommendations made by the McManus review that a much wider investigation is needed with regard to the various connected legislation. This review should be strongly based on human rights, in particular removing learning disability and Autism Spectrum disorder as a mental illness and revisiting the issue of capacity in respect of reducing treatment.

We have made significant strides in the last decade to remove much of the stigma of mental illness, but it still remains a taboo subject for many.

In Scotland, one quarter of people will experience a diagnosable mental health problem at some point in their lives. Whilst anxiety and depression remain the most common, we must also consider severe and enduring mental illness.

The bill introduces a new approach on victims which is welcome. So in addition to improving and strengthening patients' rights, I also want to strengthen the rights of families affected by violence from those suffering from mental illness.

One of my amendments will ensure that the Mental Welfare Commission reviews incidents where victims and their families affected by violence from those with mental illness are improved to prevent those incidents happening again. The evidence shows that there is an urgent need for this in Scotland.

Of the 137 homicides in Scotland committed by those with mental illness in the last 10 years, only two have been the subject of reports by the Mental Welfare Commission and fewer still appear even to have been the subject of an adverse incident review by Health Boards.

In comparison England has seen 576 homicides and 321reviews. These English reviews suggest that between 25 and 35 per cent of these homicides could have been prevented.

The system as it stands at present in Scotland is failing in its duty to the families of victims by not requiring a review in every case. My amendment will put that right and the SNP Government have no good reason to oppose it.

Mental health is one of the great public health challenges of our time, affecting people regardless of gender, race or social class. The 2003 Act was a strong foundation. It was world leading at the time. It is time to build on it.

Dr Simpson MSP is Shadow Minister for Public and Mental Health, Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatry, Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners and Honorary Professor of Psychology.