NHS England must step up its efforts to get people with learning disabilities out of mental health hospitals.

That’s the view of a new parliamentary report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The document says the NHS is failing to transfer the money it used for funding hospital places once people move into supported housing.

Sarah Battershall of disabilities charity United Response: she says up to 28,000 people with learning disabilities living in the community are at risk of a return to institutionalisation

It also says that care and treatment reviews for people in hospitals are not working as they should.

The PAC report is titled Local support for people with a learning disability. It concludes: “NHS England policy is that everyone with a learning disability in a mental health hospital should have a review every six months.

“However, as of December 2016, only 39% of people in mental health hospitals have had a review in the last six months.”

‘Not improving quickly enough’

James Taylor is head of policy at disability charity Scope. He said the report shows the social care system is not improving quickly enough.

He added: “All disabled should have the social care support that allows them to live the life they chose. Sadly, this doesn’t happen for too many disabled people.”

Sarah Battershall is the director of operations with disabilities charity United Response. She said the PAC report makes no mention of “immediate funding pressures” on social care.

Up to 28,000 people with learning disabilities living in the community are at risk of a return to institutionalisation, she warned.

Such a scenario could could happen unless “urgent action is taken”, she said.

‘Real risk’ to getting people out of mental health hospitals

MPs on the committee also expressed concern. They pointed to proposed changes in the local housing allowance. The allowance is a way of working out how much benefit people can get to help pay the rent.

The MPs warned that the alterations pose a “real risk”. The danger was that it would stop people being able to get out of mental health hospitals and into the community.

There are concerns that the proposed changes may leave people without enough money to pay the higher rent they are likely to face for specialist housing.

Professor Jane Cummings is NHS England’s chief nursing officer for England.

In evidence to the PAC, she said there was a delay in money following people leaving hospitals. She said this was because “patients may be treated in hospitals that have overheads — wards, staff”.

She said the money can only come out once the hospital has been able to cut its overheads.

Published: 4 May 2017