Edenfield Centre: Treatment of Patients

Barbara Keeley Excerpts

Thursday 13th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Will Quince]

The Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that all patients receive safe and high-quality care in all settings. As the hon. Lady pointed out, we are investing more than ever before in NHS mental health services through the NHS long-term plan, which will see an additional £2.3 billion in funding per year by 2023-24.

The hon. Lady asked what work is underway. There is work under way at a national level to improve the way we safeguard patients and ensure they receive high-quality care through a new mental health safety improvement programme, which has set up new mental health patient safety networks across all regions in England. We are reviewing everyone with a learning disability and all autistic people in long-term segregation in a mental health in-patient hospital. The Care Quality Commission is introducing a new approach to inspections from next year, which will be more data driven and targeted, and we have commenced the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018.

I can absolutely assure all hon. Members that this Government will continue to work with our partners across the NHS, social care and other sectors to consider what more action is needed to tackle toxic and closed cultures, looking at the available evidence base and, most importantly, hearing from the people affected and their families.

[Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South) (Lab)]

NHS guidance has been clear for many years that abuse of this kind, including punitive seclusion and overuse of restraint, should never be allowed, yet it has persisted, as other hon. Members have said, including at Winterbourne View, Whorlton Hall, Cygnet Yew Trees, Cawston Park and now the Edenfield Centre. There will be other places, too, that have not had media attention, but where families of patients are seeing abuse and have no mechanisms to change things.

Harley is a young autistic woman who was detained at the Edenfield Centre and experienced punitive seclusion for weeks at a time. She said in the programme:

“Staff provoke a patient and then my reaction is used against me. But they’re provoking us. It’s disgusting. I’ve been treated like I’m an animal.”

There are over 2,000 autistic people and people with learning disabilities locked in inappropriate in-patient units in this country, often for 10 years or more. The policy of the use of inappropriate in-patient units for autistic people and people with learning disabilities is a choice. They could have support in the community with skilled and experienced staff. Will the Minister promise to end the culture of abuse for Harley and so many people like her?

[Will Quince]

The hon. Lady is right. I believe what I saw to be disgusting too. She specifically referenced those with learning disabilities and autistic people in long-term segregation. NHS England is undertaking independently chaired care education and treatment reviews for everyone with a learning disability and all autistic people in long-term segregation in mental health in-patient hospitals. A senior intervenor pilot is also underway. These actions will help support people in long-term segregation to move to a less restrictive setting or to leave hospital. A programme of safety and wellbeing reviews for the care and safety of people with learning disabilities and autistic people is now complete, and NHS England will be publishing the findings of a national thematic review later this year.