The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has recently announced an eight-week rapid review into patient safety issues in mental health hospitals.  

Mental health hospitals should be there to keep patients safe and provide them with the appropriate help they need but there have been multiple reports in the last year alone, highlighting how often this isn’t the case and that all too often people are kept in mental health hospitals for far too long. These reports have exposed the way that some patients, including autistic patients, are being mistreated, having their safety compromised and ultimately being failed by the mental health system. 

It is hoped that the review will help the Government  see what needs to happen to prevent any more tragic incidents from happening in mental health hospitals. The rapid review will focus on how data can be used to identify the risks and failings that lead to patient safety issues. 

DHSC has said that the review process will include different partners including the NHS and the Care and Quality Commission (CQC). Importantly the review will also include looking at how patients, families and staff are able to voice their concerns and whether this is being listened to and acted on. 

The Government has been clear that the rapid review does not rule out a Public Inquiry, should they decide to pursue one in the future. 

What is the National Autistic Society doing to help? 

We have been campaigning against the mistreatment and abuse suffered by autistic patients in mental health hospitals for many years. Recently our autistic young ambassadors signed an open letter to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, stating how autistic people are being failed by the mental health system and calling for a national inquiry into the abuse that has and continues to take place in these settings. 

We are pleased to see that the Government is acting on some of these concerns with the announcement of the rapid review, but it is also important to make sure that the review process considers the specific experiences of autistic people and their families. We have been invited to help to shape the review by sharing the experiences and views of autistic people and their families and we will work with Dr Geraldine Strathdee to make sure that autistic voices are heard. 

Why is this important? 

The latest NHS figures show there are 2,030 autistic people and people with learning disabilities in inpatient mental health hospitals in England. 1,280 (63%) of these people are autistic which has risen from 38% in 2015. 

In 2011 shocking abuse was uncovered at Winterbourne View Hospital, an inpatient unit for people with learning disabilities. This led to the acknowledgement that there is a significant number of autistic people, those with a learning disability or both, stuck inappropriately in inpatient settings. However, there have been many broken promises since this abuse was uncovered and the scandal has continued. 

 Two recent shocking documentaries by BBC Panorama and Channel 4 Dispatches revealed poor treatment and abuse of patients, including autistic people, at the Edenfield Centre in Manchester and the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, reflecting the wider crisis across the country. 

The rapid review is just one step towards what is needed to transform mental health care for autistic people. The Government must reform mental health law as soon as possible, and provide urgent and meaningful funding for the social care system. We will continue to campaign alongside autistic people and their families to bring an end to this scandal and make sure that autistic people get the support they need. 

Further information  

• Read about the Young Ambassadors open letter to Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. 
• Read our news story on the number of autistic people in mental health hospitals. 
• Read Alexis’ story about being locked inside a mental health hospital for three years. 
• Read our statement on the Dispatches and Panorama documentaries about the abuse of patients in mental health hospitals. 
• Read our news story on the Draft Mental Health Bill Joint Committee Report