Government to speed up hospital discharges for those with learning disabilities and autism

The government is giving £62m to councils to speed up the discharge of people with learning disabilities and those with autism from mental health hospitals into the community, due to revelations last year that people with these disabilities were being kept in ‘solitary confinement’ for years.

The funding boost comes in the wake of a series of independent case reviews by Baroness Hollins which called for people with learning disabilities and/or autism who were in long-term segregation in mental health hospitals to be moved to less restrictive settings as quickly as possible.

Last year, the NHS apologised to a severely autistic teenage girl for keeping her locked up in a mental health hospital in ‘solitary confinement’ and feeding her through a small metal hatch. While an investigation by the Care Quality Commission found a man with autism had been locked up in ‘solitary confinement’ for nearly a decade.

Councils will be able to spend the funding on costs associated with discharge, including establishing community teams, funding accommodation and staff training. Named the Community Discharge Fund, the funding will help to move people with learning disabilities and autistic people into more appropriate care, either into less restrictive settings or into the community.

'Far too many people with learning disabilities and autistic people remain in hospital'

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: “Far too many people with learning disabilities and autistic people remain in hospital when they could receive better suited support in their communities, closer to their homes and loved ones.

“So, I am delighted this new funding will help local authorities to support discharges into the community more quickly for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.”

Minister for Care, Helen Whately, added: “Few of us would choose to remain in a hospital bed when we could be receiving better care in our own community - this funding will speed up discharge from hospital wards making a real difference to people’s lives.”

Some of the funding is being used for a new independent Oversight Panel led by Baroness Hollins to improve care and support for inpatients with learning disabilities and/or autism. The Oversight Panel will make recommendations to transform the care and treatment of people with a learning disability and/or autism and prevent unnecessary admissions and the use of restrictive practices in future.

Baroness Hollins said: “Since November I have been reviewing all of those instances when people with learning disabilities and autistic people have been detained in long-term segregation. I have now appointed an Oversight Panel to assist me in understanding what I have found out, and in making urgent recommendations to the government. Our aim is to prevent the use of seclusion and restraint in future.

“Supporting people to live well in their own homes would be the best outcome. In some circumstances people’s mental health may require a short admission for specialist assessment and development of an evidence based treatment plan, but the majority can and should be able to receive expert mental health treatment and support in the community.”

The independent reviews have made recommendations to improve individual cases and outlined steps to move people to less restrictive settings and onto discharge, which will now be considered by the Oversight Panel.

The funding announcement comes alongside the publication of NHS Digital’s Learning Disability Services Monthly Statistics, which show that at the end of June 2020, there were 2,085 people with a learning disability or autism at in-patient hospitals in England.

Funding falls short of what is needed to 'truly transform care'

Dr Rhidian Hughes, chief executive of VODG ((Voluntary Organisations Disability Group), welcomed the renewed focus on moving people with learning disabilities and/or autism into the community but said: “The £62million falls significantly short of what is needed to truly transform care and end institutionalised detention for people with learning disabilities and/or autism."

He added: “We know that there already exists good and outstanding care and support in the community for people who leave inpatient settings, which enables them to thrive in the community and live independent lives.

“It is vital that local authorities work in genuine partnership with voluntary sector providers and use the funding to develop local pathways that enable people with learning disabilities and/or autism to be discharged from in-patient care and to live rich and fulfilling lives in the community.”

Local authorities in England will receive £62m over the three years, with £20m in 2020/21 with funding allocated to a nominated local authority in each Transforming Care Partnership based on forecast need. Areas with the highest number of autistic people or those with learning disabilities currently in inpatient settings will receive the most funding. However, all local areas will receive a share of the funding.