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Health service units for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour or mental health problems in England
- Authors:
- MANSELL Jim, RICHIE Fiona, DYER Ricinda
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 15(4), October 2010, pp.45-50.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Following allegations of abuse in NHS residential units for people with intellectual disabilities, the Healthcare Commission carried out a national audit for specialist health services for people with intellectual disabilities. The audit comprised a national survey of health service in-patient units for people with intellectual disabilities, followed by visits to selected services. The survey included setting and patient characteristics, staffing and management arrangements, and care processes and outcomes. This paper summarises the published results, describing the characteristics of the services studied and comparing the different types of service (assessment and treatment units, low secure and medium secure units). It also compares National Health Service and independent sector units. The results raise a number of important issues. These include: in nearly two thirds of units some patients did not have an accessible care plan; independent sector units were bigger and had higher occupancy and lower staff ratios; a quarter of patients in assessment and treatment units had finished treatment but had no plans to move in the next month; and the large number of patients in low secure services with no clear specification of what the service is meant to do.