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Psychiatric Hospitals: Autism and Learning Disability

Asked by Joe RobertsonConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 3 March 2025UIN 32596

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it remains his Department's policy that there should be no more than 30 adult inpatients with a learning disability and/or autism per million adult population in mental health inpatient units.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock

Our commitment remains, as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, that there should be no more than 30 adults with a learning disability, autism or both in a mental health inpatient setting per million adults. As part of NHS Operational and Planning Guidance for 2025/26, integrated care boards are expected to set out plans for how they will continue to focus on making sure that people with a learning disability and autistic people are admitted into a mental health inpatient setting only for the purpose of care and treatment of a mental health condition. The aim is to achieve a further 10% reduction in the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people in inpatient settings by March 2026.

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