Stephen has written to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, asking why the government has failed in publishing its action plan to transform care.
Ten years ago, undercover filming by BBC Panorama exposed horrific abuse at Winterbourne View hospital, an ‘assessment and treatment unit’ near Bristol. Patients with a learning disability and/or autism were repeatedly pinned down, slapped and taunted by staff. Four people were arrested and a further 13 employees were suspended. The hospital was later closed.
After the abuse was exposed, the government said hospitals were not homes and promised to “transform care”. Ministers said people placed inappropriately in inpatient units should move out of these settings and get the right support in the community. In his letter to the Prime Minsiter, Stephen noted that little has – seemingly – changed. According to statistics from the charity Mencap, there are currently over 2,000 people with a learning disability locked away in inpatient units. 355 of these have been there for ten years or more.
Speaking about his letter Stephen said “The in-patient model of care is inappropriate. It is deeply troubling that so many vulnerable people are still at risk of chemical and physical restraint and being kept in solitary confinement, often many miles from their families. The government must now publish its cross-government action plan on impatient units, and must do so without delay.”