New manifesto calls for an end to the detention of people with learning disabilities in psychiatric hospitals

A charity is urging all political parties to support their new manifesto which calls for an end to the detention of people with learning disabilities and autism in psychiatric hospitals.

Inclusion London’s new manifesto has been written by people with learning disabilities and autistic people. It states that current mental health laws are not working for people with disabilities, with thousands of people currently detained in mental health hospitals against their wishes.

The authors of the manifesto say disabled people are too often misunderstood by the general public, they are viewed as lesser citizens and that their human rights are frequently taken away just because they have a disability.

The manifesto therefore sets out key actions to improve the lives of autistic people and people with learning disabilities and strengthen their human rights.

Inclusion London’s manifesto asks

By 2029, Inclusion London wants to see the government introduce various policies to prevent people with learning disabilities and autistic people from being ‘locked away’ in mental health hospitals.

The charity wants everyone in Parliament to support their calls, which include:

1. Allowing self-advocates to have a ‘powerful say’ on how to keep people out of psychiatric hospitals: To do this, the next government needs to work with people with a learning disability to coproduce guidance and ensure ‘hospital to homes’ plans are in place.
2. Supporting people with learning disabilities to live ‘decent lives’ in their communities: This includes changing UK law so that learning disability and autism are not mental health conditions and ensuring that community support is in place so that mental health hospitals are not used as a last resort option.
3. Treating people with respect and protecting people with learning disabilities from abuse: Inclusion London wants the law to change so that companies are criminally prosecuted if they provide unsafe care and treatment, fail to safeguard service users from harm and fail to uphold people’s human rights.

A national scandal that must end ‘once and for all’

Above anything, Inclusion London are calling for people with learning disabilities to be involved in all decisions about their care. They want the CQC and the Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to listen to a funded oversight group of people with learning disabilities and autistic people and their organisations.

The oversight group would review the CQC’s decisions on who will and will not be allowed to provide care and treatment services and monitor the CQC’s and EHRC’s progress by assessing yearly reports.

Simone Aspis, Manager of the Free Our People Now campaign, says: “There is no reason why any future Government should continue to fail to meet its targets and make a commitment to move people from hospital into their own homes.

“The £534 million that is currently spent to keep us locked up could be used instead to invest in a national plan to move everyone into their own homes rather than locking us up and throwing away the key. It’s a national scandal must end once and for all.”

New guide to support people detained in hospital to vote in the General Election

As part of their wider campaign for justice, Inclusion London has also published a guide to voting for people who are currently detained in psychiatric hospitals.

In 2019, more than 75% of psychiatric inpatients did not vote in the general election. To increase the number of voters, the charity has published a guide on who can vote in hospitals and how to vote, whether that be at a polling station or a vote by post or proxy.

You can read the full guide here.

Lauren Nicolle

Lauren is a qualified journalist who writes primarily across the health and social care sectors. She is passionate about exposing the injustices faced by people with a learning disability, with a particular focus on equal access to healthcare.

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