Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 8
Fifth Report - The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities
Published 13 Jul 2021
Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care Committee Treatment of autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
In pursuing that policy, we recommend that by the end of 2021 the Department and NHS England & Improvement: i) introduce weekly formal reviews of the suitability of admission for all autistic people and people with learning disabilities who have been kept in inpatient facilities for three months or more; and such reviews should be used to determine whether it is in individuals’ interest to remain in such facilities. Furthermore, with the agreement of individuals’ families, these reviews could take-place on a monthly-basis; ii) ensure that those reviews are conducted by experienced clinicians who have no financial or personal connection including with working the inpatient facility concerned so as to guarantee their independence; iii) where the reason for a long-term admission (greater than three months) is due to a lack of appropriate community support and provision, the NHS should be required to find and set up community provision within eight weeks using the funding from the inpatient facility. The Mental Health Act 1983 should be amended to include automatic compensation for the breach of human rights involved for individuals for whom this is not delivered; and iv) proceed with removing the definition of autism as a disorder in the forthcoming reforms to mental health legislation in line with the commitments provided by the previous Secretary of State. (Para 56) 40 The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Fifth Report - The treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities (HC 21), 13 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 July 2022 (deadline 13 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response welcomes the Committee's report and sets out its position recommendation by recommendation, accepting some in full, some "in principle" or "in part", and not accepting others, alongside the Building the Right Support action plan and the draft Mental Health Bill.
- On costs, it accepts the recommendation for a complete assessment "in principle" while noting "the practical challenges in providing a complete assessment of costs"; a task and finish group is to develop "targeted solutions" on funding and financial oversight.
- It does not accept a ban on long-term admissions or the Trieste model: "we do not intend to implement the Trieste model of care" and does not agree admissions "should be banned altogether", pointing to Mental Health Act reforms.
- On weekly reviews and compensation, it accepts recommendation 4 "in part": it does "not intend to implement weekly formal reviews" or to introduce compensation under the Mental Health Act, but proposes additional review points and Tribunal referrals.
- On closing Assessment and Treatment Units, it accepts "in principle" that care must be person-centred but does "not accept" closing all mental health inpatient units within two years, and expects to keep some capacity, including forensic.