Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were detained in assessment and treatment units in England in December (a) 2023, (b) 2022 and (c) 2021.

The Assuring Transformation data set records information about people with a learning disability and autistic people who are receiving treatment or care as inpatients in a mental health hospital.

Patients in assessment and treatment units (ATUs) in England are recorded in the Assuring Transformation data set under the bed type Acute Mental Health Unit for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism.

We are only able to identify ATUs in Assuring Transformation from April 2024. Therefore, we are unable to determine the how many patients were in ATUs, including those detained under the Mental Health Act and informal patients, for the requested periods of December 2023, 2022, and 2021.