Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of suitability of the use of mental health hospitals for individuals with autism.

Section 20 of the Mental Health Act Code of Practice sets out considerations for the detention of autistic people in mental health hospitals under the Act, including on their suitability. We have developed policies based on these considerations.

To reduce overall reliance on mental health inpatient care for autistic people and people with a learning disability, we published the Building the Right Support Action Plan in July 2022. This Plan brings together, in one place, actions across Government and public services to strengthen community support, along with actions to ensure that, when someone would benefit from admission to a mental health hospital, they receive therapeutic, high-quality care and remain in hospital for the shortest time possible.

The Plan includes our proposed Mental Health Act reforms to help improve support for autistic people and people with a learning disability and to end inappropriate detentions. The proposals limit the scope for detaining autistic people and people with a learning disability under the Act and place new duties on commissioners to ensure that there are sufficient community-based services for those at risk of admission.

Additionally, NHS England are working to support integrated care systems to develop sensory-friendly environments for autistic people with the publication of a sensory-friendly resource pack in October 2022. The pack is intended to support local systems to address issues raised about non-sensory-friendly environments impacting on care quality for autistic children and adults. The pack has been co-produced with people with lived experience, family carers, and clinicians.