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EventuntilThis webinar will give the nursing team in all fields a better understanding of autism. It will offer practical strategies on reducing health inequalities and making reasonable adjustments in health and social care settings. Nurse experts will highlight common challenges autistic people may face in health and social care settings, and the approaches nurses can use to overcome barriers to effective care including person centred approaches, environmental approaches and communication skills. Nurses can learn from real practical examples of successfully supporting autistic people in a range of settings. And we will be showcasing the RCN’s recent position statement on autism and reducing health inequalities and the need for evidence based practice. Plus your questions answered by our panel of experts. Register
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EventRecent care scandals show that the system has been failing too many people with learning disabilities and autism for too long and we need a new approach to restraint. This webinar will look at restraint, how it can be avoided - and when it can’t be avoided how it can be done safely and ethically with a human rights approach. Evidence shows that nurses are seeing more behaviours that challenge than ever before, so it's important to have the skills and knowledge to deal with situations when they arise. As well as examining issues around restraint and seclusion, our panel of experienced nurses will give you practical strategies to use restraint effectively and safely for both you and the service user. Register
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News Article
‘My son is falling through the cracks of the child mental health system’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A six-year wait for ADHD treatment on the NHS highlights a growing crisis. One mother tells of her frustrations: I wasn’t surprised by the children’s commissioner report out today, calling for urgent action to tackle waiting lists in mental health care for children. Ten years ago, I received a call from my son's reception teacher. They asked me to come in and said he was showing some developmental delays, and autistic traits. Within six months my son, who is now 15, was diagnosed with autism and ADD (attention deficit disorder) and medicated. Fast forward to his younger brother, and he has been languishing on a waiting list for six years. The school referred him to CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) to be assessed for ADHD in November 2021. The school could see how much I was struggling and sent CAMHS an email each week asking where he was on the waiting list. Despite this, it took until October 2024 for him to be diagnosed with ADHD. By then he was in secondary school. Something Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, said really stuck out to me. She said: “The numbers in this report are staggering — but these are not numbers, these are real children.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 19 May 2025 -
Content ArticleThis report describes children’s access to mental health services in England during the 2023-24 financial year, based on new analysis of NHS England data. Demand continues to grow for Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS, commonly known as CAMHS) , with the number of children with active referrals increasing by nearly 10,000 since last year to 958,200. Compared to last year, there have been some areas of progress: fewer children’s referrals are being closed before treatment, and investment in CYPMHS has increased in real terms and when adjusted for inflation. However, figures continue to highlight some concerning trends: Many children were still experiencing long waits to access mental health services, and the number of children with active referrals who were still waiting for treatment to begin at the end of the year has increased by almost 50,000 children from 270,300 in 2022-23 to 320,000 in 2023- 24. Almost half of those referred for being ‘in crisis’ have their referrals closed or were still waiting for their second contact at the end of the year. There has been an uptick in children being referred for suspected and diagnosed neurodevelopmental conditions; these conditions are associated with some of the longest waits. The accessibility of mental health services in England continues to vary widely from one ICB area to another, leading to a postcode lottery in children’s access to suitable support for their mental health conditions.
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News ArticleNHS-funded access to private autism and ADHD services is “unsustainable” and “up to three times more expensive than our local provision”, according to an integrated care board’s review. Northamptonshire ICB found the use of independent providers under “right to choose” rules for diagnosis and treatment of autism and ADHD was expected to cost it £3m in 2024-25, according to the document obtained by HSJ. This represents an additional 66% on top of its £4.5m budget for its commissioned autism and ADHD services. Extremely long waits, rocketing demand, and a growing market nationally have seen a big rise in people exercising choice rules, which require commissioners to pay for treatment if a provider has a contract with at least one other ICB. In its review of community paediatric services, the ICB said its spending growth on the independent sector is “unsustainable” as “costs are up to three times more expensive than our local provision”. NHS funding of the same services is effectively capped as they are on “block” contracts. The review was completed in December and recently released after a Freedom of Information request. Government has deprioritised tackling long waits for these services, but NHS England last year launched a national taskforce on the issue. The ICB’s review warned any “national solution will almost certainly involve greater use of the independent provider market”, which it said was less cost-effective than its commissioned services. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 6 May 2025
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Content ArticleAllied health professionals (AHPs) in inpatient mental health, learning disability and autism services work in cultures dominated by other professions who often poorly understand their roles. Furthermore, identified learning from safety incidents often lacks focus on AHPs and research is needed to understand how AHPs contribute to safe care in these services. A rapid literature review was conducted on material published from February 2014 to February 2024, reporting safety incidents within adult inpatient mental health, learning disability and autism services in England, with identifiable learning for AHPs. The review found that misunderstanding of AHP roles, from senior leadership to frontline staff, led to AHPs being disempowered and excluded from conversations/decisions, and patients not getting sufficient access to AHPs, contributing to safety incidents. A central thread ‘organisational culture’ ran through five subthemes: (1) (lack of) effective multidisciplinary team (MDT) working, evidenced by poor communication, siloed working, marginalisation of AHPs and a lack of psychological safety; (2) (lack of) AHP involvement in patient care including care and discharge planning, and risk assessment/management. Some MDTs had no AHPs, some recommendations by AHPs were not actioned and referrals to AHPs were not always made when indicated; (3) training needs were identified for AHPs and other professions; (4) staffing issues included understaffing of AHPs and (5) senior management and leadership were found to not value/understand AHP roles, and instil a blame culture. A need for cohesive, well-led and nurturing MDTs was emphasised.
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News ArticleThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) will begin work on a comprehensive federal database of patient records to study autism and chronic disease, Director Jay Bhattacharya announced Monday. The commitment gives legs to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s calls to find the root cause of childhood autism, which he calls an epidemic. The NIH appears poised to put federal resources to work to create a central, shareable resource for the researchers that undertake RFK Jr.’s call to action. Last week at an event with reporters, Secretary RFK Jr. announced that HHS will soon be offering research grants for identifying the cause of autism, including exploring causes that were formerly considered taboo by the research community. “People will know they can research and follow the science no matter what it says, without any kind of fear that can be censored ... gaslighted ... silenced," he told reporters. The NIH will now work to build out a data resource consisting of medical records, insurance claims and data from wearable devices to aid autism researchers in their quest to find the root cause of the disease. Bhattacharya explained the initiative to a meeting of NIH advisors on Monday. The NIH will partner across the HHS and with external stakeholders. The data sources for the real-world data platform will be pharmacy chains, health organisations, clinical data, claims and billing, environmental, sensors and wearables. The initiative has sparked some privacy concerns from industry groups. "Compiling health and disability-related data from both federal and commercial sources to create a federal registry of people with autism, without individuals’ consent, is the latest dangerous effort by this Administration to repurpose Americans’ sensitive information for unchecked government use," Ariana Aboulafia, project lead of disability rights in technology policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said in a statement. "This plan crosses a line in the sand, particularly given longstanding and historical concerns surrounding the creation of registries of people with disabilities. "The data that would be used to create this registry and inform governmental studies on autism was originally shared with government agencies and private companies, like insurers and wearable technology companies, for a wide range of purposes," Aboulafia said. "It’s unclear exactly who the federal government plans to share this data with, or how they’ll eventually use it. And, while NIH has claimed that the confidentiality of this information will be safeguarded using 'state of the art protections,' it’s also unclear if it’ll be anonymized or disaggregated, or how it will be protected from a hack or breach." Read full story Source: Fierce Healthcare, 22 April 2025
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News Article
USA: RFK Jr contradicts experts by linking autism rise to ‘environmental toxins’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, said in his first press conference that the significant and recent rise in autism diagnoses was evidence of an “epidemic” caused by an “environmental toxin”, which would be rooted out by September. “This is a preventable disease, we know it’s environmental exposure, it has to be,” said Kennedy. “Genes do not cause epidemics, they can provide a vulnerability, but you need an environmental toxin,” he said, despite known evidence against this claim. Kennedy’s remarks come after a new federal report suggests that autism rates in the US are rising. The report states that autism prevalence across the country has increased from 1 in 36 children to 1 in 31. Health researchers across various autism advocacy groups attribute the increase to the expansion of diagnostic tools and access to care, along with other factors. RFK disagreed with the consensus of health researchers, and said that “we need to move away” from the idea that the increase in autism prevalence “is simply due to better diagnostic tools”. The health secretary is instead using the data to support the idea that the rise in autism diagnoses is evidence of a growing “epidemic”. He added that “epidemic denial” towards autism had become a “feature of mainstream media”. In a statement about the CDC’s research, the Autism Society of America said: “This rise in prevalence does not signal an ‘epidemic’ as narratives are claiming – it reflects diagnostic progress, and an urgent need for policy decisions rooted in science and the immediate needs of the autism community.” The statement emphasised that the “rise in prevalence likely reflects better awareness, improved screening tools, and stronger advocacy”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 16 April 2025 -
News Article
Rise in autistic children going to A&E putting pressure on NHS
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Positive Support Group said one child spent more than 120 days in hospital with ‘no medical need’ and warned that funding cuts were driving the surge Becky, a 46-year-old charity worker. said her 14-year-old daughter Sofia first called the emergency services because she has autism and was in extreme distress during a crisis “At the time, I had no support,” said Becky, a 46-year-old charity worker. “In a way, Sofia calling in the ambulance was a saving grace for us.” Her called the emergency services when she was 13, not because she was in physical danger, but because she has autism and was in extreme distress during a crisis. According to her mother, Sofia has required emergency care to cope with multiple crises over the years. NHS data analysed by the Positive Support Group (PSG) found that there were more than 20,000 episodes where children with autism were admitted to and discharged from emergency hospital care on the same day in 2023-24 — a 86% increase since 2019-20, according to the behavioural health group. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 2 April 2025 -
EventuntilRecent care scandals show that the system has been failing too many people with learning disabilities and autism for too long and we need a new approach to restraint. This RCNi event will look at restraint, how it can be avoided - and when it can’t be avoided how it can be done safely and ethically with a human rights approach. Evidence shows that nurses are seeing more behaviours that challenge than ever before, so it's important to have the skills and knowledge to deal with situations when they arise. As well as examining issues around restraint and seclusion, our panel of experienced nurses will give you practical strategies to use restraint effectively and safely for both you and the service user. Register
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Content Article
Journey home to a rightful life in the community: Richard's story part 2
Anonymous posted an article in Commissioning and funding patient safety
Richard has a learning disability and has spent time in hospital. His mum shares his story through this video about their journey to find the Right Care in the Right Place. -
News Article
US CDC plans study into vaccines and autism, sources say
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning a large study into potential connections between vaccines and autism, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, despite extensive scientific research that has disproven or failed to find evidence of such links. The CDC's move comes amid one of the largest measles outbreaks the U.S. has seen in the past decade, with more than 200 cases and two deaths in Texas and New Mexico. The outbreak has been fueled by declining vaccination rates in parts of the United States where parents have been falsely persuaded that such shots do more harm than good. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, whose role includes authority over the CDC, has long sowed doubt over the safety of the combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). In a cabinet meeting last week, Kennedy initially downplayed news that a school-aged child had died of measles in Texas, the first such death in a decade, calling such outbreaks ordinary and failing to mention the role of vaccination to prevent measles. Last weekend Kennedy published an opinion piece on Fox News that promoted the role of vaccination, but also told parents vaccination was a personal choice and urged them to consult with their physician. HHS and CDC cited what they described as skyrocketing autism rates in a joint statement on Friday. "CDC will leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening," the statement said. "The American people expect high quality research and transparency and that is what CDC is delivering." Read full story Source: Reuters, 7 March 2025 -
News Article
Autistic woman wrongly locked up in mental health hospital for 45 years
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An autistic woman with a learning disability was wrongly locked up in a mental health hospital for 45 years, starting when she was just seven years old, the BBC has learned. The woman, who is believed to be originally from Sierra Leone, and who was given the name Kasibba by the local authority to protect her identity, was also held on her own in long-term segregation for 25 years. Kasibba is non-verbal and had no family to speak up for her. A clinical psychologist told File on 4 Investigates how she had begun a nine-year battle to release her. The Department of Health and Social Care told the BBC it was unacceptable that so many disabled people were still being held in mental health hospitals and said it hoped reforms to the Mental Health Act would prevent inappropriate detention. More than 2,000 autistic people and people with learning disabilities are still detained, external in mental health hospitals in England - including about 200 children. For years, the government has pledged to move many of them into community care, because they do not have any mental illness. But all key targets in England have been missed. In the past few weeks, in its plan for 2025-26, external, NHS England said it aimed to reduce the reliance on mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people, delivering a minimum 10% reduction. However, Dan Scorer, head of policy and public affairs at the charity Mencap, is not impressed. "Hundreds of people are still languishing, detained, who should have been freed and should be supported in the community, because we haven't seen the progress that was promised," he said. Read full story Source: BBC News, 4 March 2025 -
Content ArticleIn 2022, the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme was established to support cultural change and a new bold, reimagined model of care for the future across all NHS-funded mental health, learning disability and autism inpatient settings. The culture of care standards for mental health inpatient care set out in this guidance support all providers to realise the culture of care within inpatient settings everyone wants to experience – people who need this care and their families, and the staff who provide this care. They apply across the life course to all NHS-funded mental health inpatient service types, including those for people with a learning disability and autistic people, as well as specialised mental health inpatient services such as mother and baby units, secure services, and children and young people’s mental health inpatient services.
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News ArticleWhen Sharren Bridges talks about her daughter’s last summer, in 2021, she chokes up and has to pause. In some ways, it was a good summer. Jen Bridges-Chalkley had a boyfriend and, like most parents of teenagers, Sharren would occasionally act as a taxi driver, taking them down to the local river to swim. On 12 October 2021, Jen killed herself at her mother’s home. She was 17. At the inquest, which concluded in April 2024, the coroner said her suicide could have been avoided if she had received the support she needed “in a timely manner”. It was “a multi-agency failure”, he concluded in the report, which is a devastating document: 81 pages of missed opportunities, bad communication and poor decision-making. “There was a failure of the agencies to work effectively together to ensure that Jen’s needs were met,” the coroner wrote. Safeguarding failure; failure by educational establishments; failure by child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs). “For much of the time between May 2018 and June 2020, she was on a waiting list for therapy from the psychology team and was awaiting assessment.” He concluded that Camhs had failed “properly to assess, diagnose and treat Jen … in order to manage her conditions and minimise her risk of suicide”. Camhs is the NHS service for children with emotional, behavioural and mental health issues. Its staff includes psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, therapists and social workers. It aims to provide support and treatment, including therapy, medication and in-hospital care. Sharren’s assessment of Camhs, provided in Jen’s case by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS foundation trust, is simple: “It’s not fit for purpose.” Sharren is angry when she speaks about Camhs. “Jen is a person, she’s my daughter, she’s my everything, and she’s not here any more because people didn’t do their job. They didn’t do their job when she was five, they didn’t do their job when she was 11, they didn’t do their job when she was 14, 15, 16, 17, and now she’s not going to get older than 17.” In a statement, Graham Wareham, the chief executive of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS foundation trust, said: “We remain deeply saddened by Jennifer’s tragic death and we have expressed our deepest condolences to her family. Our investigation into the support we provided Jennifer found that while we gave care and consideration into delivering a person-centred therapeutic approach to meet Jennifer’s mental health needs, we acknowledge that there were shortcomings. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 6 February 2025
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News Article
18 ICBs warned over deaths following care failures
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Disjointed, delayed, and substandard care for people with both mental illness and additional needs are highlighted throughout reports sent to integrated care boards on the deaths of 24 people, HSJ has found. A lack of inpatient beds, poor communication, staff shortages, and care fragmentation were common concerns raised with 18 ICBs in relation to 24 deaths linked to mental health care since the boards’ creation in July 2022, HSJ analysis reveals. Of a total of 53 “prevention of future death reports” addressed to ICBs, 24 focused primarily on mental health – the most common theme of the reports. Many of those who died were young, and many had additional needs, such as autism, ADHD or learning disabilities. They often endured long delays because of poorly-connected physical and mental health services. Some were refused multiple referrals because of the complexity of their needs. Twenty-two of the 24 deaths were from suicide or self-harm. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 28 January 2025 -
Content ArticleMatthew Zak Sheldrick (Matty) had struggled with their mental health throughout their adult life, but it wasn’t until 2019 that Matty was finally diagnosed with Autism. ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. However, they had never been sectioned under the Mental Health Act or had spent time as a voluntary patient in a mental health hospital. Matty had moved to Brighton from Surrey in November 2021 having wanted to live independently. They were drawn to Brighton as they wished to be involved in the trans/non-binary community. Matty’s mental health deteriorated during the summer of 2022 due to accommodation issues that they had been facing and issues with an online relationship. By 3rd September they were in crisis. On 5 September 2022 Matty was admitted to A&E at the Royal County Hospital, Brighton. They remained within A&E, short stay ward, for 26 days awaiting a psychiatric bed. During this time no bed was found, and they were eventually discharged back home with support from the Crisis Home Treatment Team. Matty’s mental health had been affected by the unsuitability of the environment within A&E for someone awaiting an inpatient mental health bed. Less than 5 weeks later Matty was again admitted to the A&E department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital on 3rd November 2022 in crisis. Their presentation fluctuated and this led to them being assessed under the Mental Health Act. However, they were not found to be detainable. They left the hospital shortly after the assessment and were sadly found hanging in the grounds of the hospital. Matters of concern The lack of inpatient beds leading to the unacceptable wait time in A&E for those suffering with their mental health who are awaiting beds. In Matty’s case a bed was not found for them within a 26-day period. There being a shortage of beds for Autistic patients (both informal and detained) within the private sector that are being funded by the ICB. Evidence was heard that those providing beds within the public sector very often refused to accept autistic patients due to their additional risks. There being a shortage of beds for transgender patients who are in need of a mixed ward. In Matty’s case it appears there was a lack of appreciation by the ICB of his extensive length of stay in A&E. It appears that this information (and others who had lengthy stays) was not at that time being collected, monitored and acted on by the ICB. The unsuitability of the environment of A&E as a holding place for those in need of a mental health bed. The evidence was that the environment in A&E as a holding place is not conducive for those suffering with Autism and/or who are neurodiverse. The environment in A&E can exacerbate and cause further deterioration in their mental health. There is a gap in services for those who are not ill enough to be detained but who are too high risk to be sent home. There is a significant wait time for referral to the Assessment and Treatment Service. Therefore, any therapeutic input is delayed, and this results in repetitive attendances at A&E when in crisis. Current gaps in service around psychosocial support for transgender, non-binary and intersex adults have been provided by third party charitable organisations. It is understood that much of their funding has recently been withdrawn by the ICB. This is of particular concern as Brighton is recognised as having one of the largest trans communities in the Country.
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News Article
'My autistic son had no safety net when in crisis'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The family of a man who died after he repeatedly banged his head against a wall in a mental health suite said there was no "safety net" for people with their son's needs. Declan Morrison, 26, from Cambridge, was autistic, had severe learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In the hours before his death, he was left naked in a room with CCTV cameras, but his family said the alarm was only raised after he was found unresponsive by staff. His parents, Graeme and Sam Morrison, are now calling for answers about what went wrong with their son's care. Mrs Morrison said: "He was left to his own devices in a surrounding that he couldn't understand, with no stimuli, bright lights and bare walls." In March 2022, Declan spent 10 days in the Section 136 mental health assessment suite, as there were no beds available across the UK. But he could not cope with the austere, clinical environment which, under the Mental Health Act, should be used for a maximum of 24 hours. The suite was described by coroner Simon Milburn as "wholly inappropriate", external for Declan's needs. Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 December 2024 -
Content ArticleDeclan Morrison died on 2 April 2022, aged 26. He had diagnoses which included ASD, ADHD and Learning Disability. Declan was largely non-verbal and required 24-hour residential care. His needs were highly complex. He lacked mental capacity to make decisions in his own best interests. Between 2014 and March 2022 he resided in private placements sourced by Cambridgeshire County Council’s Learning Disability Partnership. Declan moved into his final placement in May 2021 after the previous placement had become unable to meet his needs. By the end of 2021 (latest) it was agreed by all the professionals involved in his care and the private care provider that this placement was also unable to meet Declan’s complex needs. His mental health and behaviour began to deteriorate as a result. The private care provider felt that they could not consequently keep Declan (and other residents) safe. Despite attempts to find Declan an alternative appropriate placement CCC’s LDP could find nothing available either locally or nationally. Declan’s mental health and behaviour declined further and as the result of an incident on 8 March 2022 whereby he was detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Declan was taken to Addenbrookes Hospital Emergency Department in Cambridge as a place of safety where he was then further detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act. There was no suitable hospital placement available and so Declan was taken to the Section 136 Suite at Fulbourn Hospital in Cambridge. The evidence was clear – the Section 136 Suite is suitable only as a temporary placement for those suffering an immediate mental health crisis. It is/was not a suitable facility for longer term detention and or for someone with Declan’s complex needs. Staff there were not appropriately trained to care for him. Declan’s mental health declined further in the Section 136 Suite. His behaviour became more agitated and disturbed. As a result, he engaged in self-harming behaviours including blows to the head. Declan died from head injuries on 2 April 2022. Matters of concern: The evidence revealed that there is currently a widespread shortage of available placements for someone with Declan’s complex needs both in the community and within the NHS. Once it was clear that Declan’s community placement had broken down in late 2021 no suitable alternative could be found. This resulted in a decline in Declan’s mental health and behaviour which ultimately necessitated his detention under the Mental Health Act. There was then nowhere suitable to detain him under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act. The Section 136 Suite was completely inappropriate. Declan’s mental health and behaviour declined further and ultimately this resulted in his death. Declan was in crisis for several months – the facilities were simply not available in the community and once detained, in order to prevent his death.
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News Article
Fresh inquiry ordered into death after reports are rejected
Patient_Safety_Learning posted a news article in News
NHS England has ordered a new independent investigation into the death of an autistic man nearly 10 years ago, after a previous report was effectively quashed. Anthony Dawson died aged 64 from a burst gastric ulcer in an NHS-run care home in May 2015. An inquest found there were gross failings in his care, and his death was contributed to by neglect. NHS England commissioned an independent investigation in 2017 from Sancus Solutions at a cost of £25,000. But its report — which went through seven drafts — was heavily criticised by Anthony’s sister, Julia, who said the drafts had significant factual errors and ignored aspects of his care. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 19 November, 2024 -
News ArticleJust one year ago, Nicholas Thornton lay in a windowless hospital room, in a bed he could not leave on his own, unable to speak. He had spent 10 years like this, in hospital wards – as well as in unsuitable dementia care homes and psychiatric units – all because he had learning disabilities and autism. Now, 12 months on, he is finally free at the age of 29 – and in a home of his own. His incredible transformation since leaving Rochard Hospital, in Essex, means he is now able to leave his house unassisted and has even regained his speech. “It’s like I have my life back, I have my freedom back... for so long I was just stuck in the hospital. I have my freedom,” he said. But while Nicholas reaps the benefits of his new life, there are more than 2,000 people just like him, stuck in hospitals across the country because there is no suitable care for them outside. Hundreds have been trapped in hospital for more than five years, unable to be discharged into the community as local authorities struggle to come up with funding to meet their needs – and some have become so deeply institutionalised that their needs are now extremely complex. Ministers have introduced a new Mental Health Bill meaning patients with a learning disability and autism would only be sectioned under the Mental Health Act for a maximum of 28 days. But the changes to the act are unlikely to have prevented what happened to Nicholas, who ended up in inappropriate settings primarily because of a breakdown in care packages. Read full story Source: The Independent, 13 November 2024
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Content ArticleResearch by the Children’s Commissioner shows around 400,000 children in England were still waiting at the end of 2022-23 to receive their first appointment after being referred to Community Health Services and Children’s Mental Health Services. This is equivalent to around 3% of England’s total child population. Unlike adults, children with neurodevelopmental conditions are assessed in both Community Health and Mental Health Services – meaning using existing national data, it is impossible to answer how long children are waiting for diagnosis with neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD and autism in England. This report uses the Children’s Commissioner’s legislative powers to draw on unpublished data on neurodevelopmental condition diagnoses from NHS England to provide a novel and more joined up national picture of children’s waiting times across both mental health and Community Health Services. Data is taken from the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24.
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Content ArticleRebecca Bauers, Interim Director for People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People, and Chris Dzikiti, Director for Mental Health, talk about CQC’s new cross-sector policy position statement on restrictive practice, what it means for providers, and what people receiving healthcare services have the right to expect. As well as sharing the new policy, they discuss what forms restrictive practices can take, and explain how the use of blanket restrictions diminishes the therapeutic power of person-centred, trauma-informed care.
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Content ArticleIn her first blog as Interim Director of People with a Learning Disability and Autistic People, Rebecca Bauers talks about the importance of listening to the voices of people with lived experience; about how we have been gathering insight to shape our priorities, and how we intend to use our new powers to assess integrated care systems and local authorities.
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Content ArticleRizwana Dudhia shares in the Pharmaceutical Journal how a project she initiated to prevent the prescribing of inappropriate medication improved the quality of life for patients with learning disabilities and autism.
