The latest monthly Assuring Transformation NHS Digital data shows that in September 2024: 

• In total 2,020 autistic people and people with learning disabilities are in inpatient mental health hospitals in England
• 1,385 (69%) of these people are autistic
• There are 200 under 18s in inpatient units that are autistic or have a learning disability. Of these, 98% are autistic.

This is the most up-to-date record of how many autistic people and people with a learning disability, both adults and children, are currently in inpatient units in England. 

Despite some progress moving people with a learning disability out of hospital and into the community, the number of autistic people in inpatient facilities has increased. In 2015, autistic people made up 38% of the number in hospital, now it is 69%. Additionally, the number of autistic people without a learning disability detained in mental health hospitals has increased by 117% since 2015.

Do autistic people need to be in inpatient units and why do they get ‘stuck’ there?

It is widely recognised that for most autistic people, care in an inpatient unit is rarely helpful – in fact, it can be deeply damaging. 

The average length of stay is around 4.8 years and we continue to hear alarming cases of overmedication, seclusion and unnecessary restraint.

The overwhelming majority (93%) of autistic people and people with a learning disability who are detained in hospital are put there using the Mental Health Act 1983. We and hundreds of thousands of campaigners have been calling for changes to mental health law for years, so it respects autistic people’s rights.

In June 2022, the former government published a draft bill to reform the Mental Health Act which could stop people being sectioned just because they’re autistic and make it easier for autistic people in hospitals to leave. This was a big step forward. However, delays in bringing the Bill to Parliament meant it was not passed into law.

In this year’s King’s Speech, the new Government outlined its intention to bring forward the Mental Health Bill. This means the Mental Health Bill is on the agenda, and will likely be brought forward at some point in this parliamentary session.

An opportunity to end this scandal

The new Government now has an opportunity to end this human rights scandal, and put right a history of broken promises.

In 2011, shocking abuse was uncovered at Winterbourne View Hospital, an inpatient unit for people with learning disabilities. This scandal 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 – largely because services to support them in the community simply do not exist. 

The former government’s response came in the form of the Transforming Care programme which aimed to close up to half of the inpatient mental health beds and move people back to their local communities by 1 June 2014. This did not happen.

Several targets have been set since which have not been met. The 2019 NHS Long-Term Plan committed to halving the number of autistic people and people with learning disabilities in inpatient care from 2015 levels by March 2024. In 2022, this target was reaffirmed by the former government in its ‘Building the Right Support Action Plan’. It was revealed in April that this target was missed by a substantial margin, largely driven by the increase in autistic people being detained.

It is clear that legislative reform, alongside significant investment in the right community support, is urgently needed if we are to end this scandal. The new Government must not break its promise to bring forward the Mental Health Bill.

What is the National Autistic Society doing?

Alongside autistic people and families, we have been highlighting these injustices and campaigning for better support and services from the Government and the NHS for years. 

In 2022 we presented oral and written evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Mental Health Bill, emphasising how important it is to reform mental health and social care services in the community. Our contributions have been reflected in the Committee’s report and impacted the recommendations they gave to the former government.

Last year we also launched our Time to Act campaign in collaboration with Mencap which called on the former government to reform outdated mental health law and include the Mental Health Bill in the 2023 King’s Speech. Our open letter to Rishi Sunak received 18,324 signatures and was handed in to 10 Downing Street in October last year. 

With the new Government promising to introduce the Mental Health Bill, we will be focusing on ensuring the final Bill works for autistic people. The Bill must be strengthened by enhancing duties to provide adequate support for autistic people in the community, improving reviews processes and protections for autistic patients, and ensuring treatment is always therapeutically beneficial.

However, legislative reform alone won’t be enough to prevent autistic people being inappropriately detained in mental health hospitals. Urgent investment in high-quality and accessible community support for autistic people will be vital to end this scandal and ensure legislative reform is a success.

We will not stop fighting for fairer mental health laws and will be continuing to campaign for urgent reform until the Bill becomes law. We will be engaging with all parties on this issue. This means meeting with MPs, asking important questions in Parliament, and demanding the next Government acts to end the scandal of autistic people being wrongly held in mental health hospitals.

We are also continuing to help autistic people and families who are detained or at risk of detention directly, via our Autism Inpatient Mental Health Casework Service.

Further information

• Read our response to the inclusion of the Mental Health Bill in the 2024 King’s Speech
• Read our news story on the significance of the NHS Long Term Plan target being missed
• Read our news story on the Joint Committee’s report on the Government’s Draft Mental Health Bill
• Read Alexis’ story about being “locked inside” various mental health hospitals for three years
• Read our information, advice and guidance about autism and mental health