Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how regularly his Department is meeting with colleagues at NHS England to reduce the use of restrictive interventions in inpatient settings for autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

Department officials meet regularly with NHS England colleagues to discuss a range of topics in relation to the care and treatment of autistic people and people with learning disabilities, including reducing the use of restrictive interventions in inpatient settings. This includes meetings each month in relation to action to reduce use of long-term segregation.

We work closely with NHS England to deliver a range of programmes aiming to reduce restrictive interventions. These include Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (IC(E)TRs) and a Senior Intervenor pilot to help individuals in the most restrictive setting move towards discharge. NHS England have commissioned the HOPE(S) model, which is being delivered to embed good practice across inpatient services to reduce the use of long-term segregation and restrictive practices for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

NHS England has also commissioned the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health and Academic Health Science Networks across England to improve the safety and outcomes of people using inpatient Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism (MHLDA) services by reducing the incidence of restrictive practices. A pilot saw most participating hospital wards seeing a significant reduction in one or more measure of restrictive practice and is therefore being scaled up across all MHLDA Trusts in England.