It’s been one year since the NHS and Government failed to meet their target to reduce the numbers of autistic people and people with a learning disability in mental health hospitals in England. Yet new data released today shows 2,025 autistic people and people with a learning disability remain locked away, and 1,435 (71%) of these people are autistic. 

Not only has the target been missed, but the numbers of people detained have in fact increased since it was missed. There are now 55 more autistic people detained than there were in March 2024 –a 4% increase since the target was missed.

It is widely recognised that mental health hospitals are inappropriate settings for most autistic people – and can be deeply damaging. The average length of stay is nearly five years and there continue to be alarming cases of overmedication, seclusion and unnecessary restraint.
 

Missed target 

The 2019 NHS Long Term Plan introduced a target to reduce the number of autistic people and people with a learning disability in mental health hospitals to half (50%) of the number recorded in March 2015, by March 2024. But the target was missed, with a reduction of around only 30%. 

One year on, the number of autistic people detained continues to rise. Shockingly, the number of autistic people without a learning disability detained in mental health hospitals has increased by 136% since 2015. 

A new target of a 10% minimum reduction has been introduced in the NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance for 2025/26, which would mean 200 people discharged into the community by around March 2026. However, despite this being a less ambitious target, it’s still unclear what actions the Government will take to reach it.
 

Our call to action 

We have joined organisations including Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation to write to the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, warning the Government about the situation and urging swift action. 

The Government said it will not commence important changes to detention criteria for autistic people included in the Mental Health Bill until it is satisfied there is sufficient support in the community. We are calling on the Government to urgently produce a comprehensive plan to ensure the right community mental health and social care support is available for autistic people.
 

Our response 

Mel Merritt, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: "The only way to end the human rights scandal of autistic people and people with learning disabilities being locked up in mental health hospital is to have a proper Government plan. Anything less is a failure to confront the issues. Currently autistic people are deprived of their basic liberties in mental health hospitals, where they often face abuse, overmedication, and unnecessary restraint.  

"Changes in legislation, going through parliament now, are desperately needed. But without a plan and provisions in place, the Government is consigning people to unnecessary detentions, where the average stay is nearly five years." 
 

Hannah’s Story