Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

Treatment of autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities

Status: Closed Opened: 3 Feb 2021 Closed: 1 Aug 2022 14 recommendations 6 conclusions 1 report

Limited progress in improving the way autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities are treated is to be examined by the Health and Social Care Committee. The short inquiry will hold the first of two evidence sessions next week with particular focus on the use of restraint and “sectioning”. It will also consider issues around … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - The treatment of autistic people and people … HC 21 13 Jul 2021 20 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
7 Recommendation Fifth Report - The treatment of autisti… Rejected

We recommend that the Trieste model of care is implemented for autistic people and people...

We recommend that the Trieste model of care is implemented for autistic people and people with learning disabilities by the Department of Health & Social Care and NHS England & Improvement. All new long-term admissions of such people to institutions should be banned except for forensic cases. For cases where … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to ban long-term admissions and implement the Trieste model, stating it does not want to prevent necessary mental health hospital admissions but aims for shorter stays and increased community support.
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Department of Health and Social Care
12 Recommendation Fifth Report - The treatment of autisti… Rejected

We recommend that, in addition to the implementation of the Mental Health Units (Use of...

We recommend that, in addition to the implementation of the Mental Health Units (Use of Force Act) (i.e. ‘Seni’s Law’), all Assessment and Treatment Units (ATUs) are closed within two years and replaced with person-centred services that are: i) designed for easy discharge as well as easy admission; ii) physically … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to close all Assessment and Treatment Units (ATUs) within two years, instead stating the importance of mental health treatment places and ensuring quality of care.
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Department of Health and Social Care
17 Recommendation Fifth Report - The treatment of autisti… Rejected

The physical health and wellbeing of autistic people and people with learning disabilities requires greater...

The physical health and wellbeing of autistic people and people with learning disabilities requires greater prioritisation. We believe that the creation of an Intellectual Disability Physician to co-ordinate care in line with the model established in the Netherlands should be fully explored by the Department and NHS England & Improvement; … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government has looked into creating an Intellectual Disability Physician role but is concerned about potential negative effects, opting instead to focus on training all doctors to work with autistic people and those with learning disabilities.
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Department of Health and Social Care
18 Recommendation Fifth Report - The treatment of autisti… Rejected

We recommend that the Department and NHS England & Improvement undertake an assessment of the...

We recommend that the Department and NHS England & Improvement undertake an assessment of the merits of establishing the Intellectual Disability Physician as a new professional discipline within the NHS with the objective of reducing admissions 42 The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities and the length … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government has considered assessing a new Intellectual Disability Physician role but rejects it due to concerns about potential negative effects, preferring to focus on training all doctors to work with autistic people and those with learning disabilities.
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Department of Health and Social Care
19 Recommendation Fifth Report - The treatment of autisti… Rejected

In recent years there have been too many incidences of autistic people and people with...

In recent years there have been too many incidences of autistic people and people with learning disabilities dying in inpatient settings. Families and friends have too often had to go to extreme and difficult lengths to have independent reviews into such deaths. Of even greater concern is that in some … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for mandatory independent reviews of deaths, stating they already look into reasons for deaths in mental health hospitals with appropriate local involvement.
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Department of Health and Social Care
20 Recommendation Fifth Report - The treatment of autisti… Rejected

We therefore recommend that the Government and NHS England & Improvement bring forward the necessary...

We therefore recommend that the Government and NHS England & Improvement bring forward the necessary financial and workforce resources required to mandate the independent review of the deaths of all autistic people and people with learning disabilities in inpatient and community settings, and ensure there is a structured way to … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to mandate an independent review of all deaths, stating they already investigate deaths of people with learning disabilities and autistic people in mental health hospitals locally.
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Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
27 Apr 2021 Bengi O’Reilly, an individual with lived experience, Claire Murdoch · NHS England, Dr Sara Ryan, an individual with lived experience, Fiona Walshe · Department of Health and Social Care, Helen Whately MP · Department of Health and Social Care, Roger Banks · NHS England View ↗
13 Apr 2021 Baroness Sheila Hollins · Beyond Words, Dr Ian Davidson · NHS and Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Ken Courteney · Royal College of Psychiatrists Intellectual Disability Faculty, Dr Theresa Joyce · Care Quality Commission, Ian Birrell, Journalist, Professor Philip Fennell · Cardiff University, Sir Norman Lamb, former Minister at the Department of Health View ↗
9 Feb 2021 Alexis Quinn, autism activist, author and Restraint Reduction Network Manager, Dan Scorer · Mencap, Ivan Olbrechts · Learning Disability England, Julie Newcombe · Rightful Lives, Vivien Cooper · Challenging Behaviour Foundation View ↗

Who gave evidence

18 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alexis Quinn, autism activist, author and Restraint Reduction Network Manager 1
Baroness Sheila Hollins · Founder Beyond Words 1
Bengi O’Reilly, an individual with lived experience 1
Claire Murdoch · National Director for Mental Health NHS England 1
Dan Scorer · Head of Policy, Public Affairs, Information and A… Mencap 1
Dr Ian Davidson · Autism Lead NHS and Royal College of Psychiatrists 1
Dr Ken Courteney · Chair Royal College of Psychiatrists Intellectual Disability Faculty 1
Dr Sara Ryan, an individual with lived experience 1
Dr Theresa Joyce · Clinical Psychologist and former National Profess… Care Quality Commission 1
Fiona Walshe · Director for Mental Health and Disabilities, Shie… Department of Health and Social Care 1
Helen Whately MP · Minister of State Department of Health and Social Care 1
Ian Birrell, Journalist 1
Ivan Olbrechts · Representative Body Member Learning Disability England 1
Julie Newcombe · Co-Founder Rightful Lives 1
Professor Philip Fennell · Emeritus Professor Cardiff University 1
Roger Banks · National Clinical Director for Learning Disabilit… NHS England 1
Sir Norman Lamb, former Minister at the Department of Health 1
Vivien Cooper · Founder Challenging Behaviour Foundation 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
26 Oct 2021 Correspondence with the Minister of State for Care and Mental Health on Treatme…
22 Jun 2021 To cttee Letter from the National Mental Health Director on assuring transformation data…
25 May 2021 To cttee Letter from NHS England and NHS Improvement on the Committee's inquiry into Tre…