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

• In total 2,050 autistic people and people with a learning disability are in inpatient mental health hospitals in England 
• 1,410 (69%) of these people are autistic 
• There are 215 under 18s in inpatient units that are autistic or have a learning disability. Of these, 95% 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 122% 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 4.9 years and we continue to hear alarming cases of overmedication, seclusion and unnecessary restraint. 

The overwhelming majority (92%) 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, but delays in bringing the Bill to Parliament meant it was not passed into law. 

However, after including the Bill in this year’s King’s Speech, the new Government has now introduced the Mental Health Bill to Parliament. The First Reading of the Bill was held last month in the House of Lords, and it will now go through the Parliamentary process where it can be scrutinized and strengthened.  
  

An opportunity to end this scandal 

The Mental Health Bill presents 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.   
 

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 Mental Health Bill now introduced, we are focusing on making sure the final Bill works for autistic people. The Bill must be strengthened through Parliamentary process by:   

• Closing inappropriate alternative routes to detention
• Enhancing duties to provide adequate support for autistic people in the community
• Improving reviews processes and protections for autistic patients
• 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 better community support for autistic people and we will be continuing to campaign whilst the Bill becomes law and beyond. We will be engaging with all parties on these issues. This means meeting with MPs and Lords, asking important questions in Parliament, and demanding the Government continues to work towards ending the scandal of autistic people being wrongly held in mental health hospitals. 

Further information 

• Read our new story on the Mental Health Bill being introduced to Parliament
• 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