A report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has slammed the treatment of autistic people and those with a learning disability in the UK’s mental health services. The annual Monitoring the Mental Health Act report has highlighted the lack of suitable accommodation within the community. Unnecessarily detained The CQC said this has led “to people, particularly autistic people and people with a learning disability, being unnecessarily detained in hospital”. The report also highlighted the significant number of autistic patients and those with a learning disability being placed far from home, so ..read more

A charity has called on the new Labour government to overhaul the “grossly unfair” Carer’s Allowance. The Carers Trust says if the new UK Government is serious about growing the economy, the broken Carer’s Allowance system must change. Labour has said kickstarting economic growth to boost living standards is its top priority. ‘Almost impossible to combine work and caring’ Dominic Carter, of the Carers Trust, says it’s almost impossible to combine work and caring if you are claiming Carer’s Allowance Dominic Carter is the Carers Trust’s policy director. He stressed that Carer’s Allowance is t ..read more

Researchers have linked autism to gut health. Scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong believe the findings could help develop a new diagnostic tool for autism. They found alterations in four gut microbes and highlighted 31 biomarkers that they say have “great potential” for diagnosing autism. And they believe the findings could lead to potential treatments. Professor Siew Ng said her team’s work has shown the potential of a non-invasive biomarker for autism Treatment alleviated anxiety In a pilot study, the researchers showed that treating these changes in the gut alleviated the sy ..read more

Pain can express itself as self-harm and be missed because of diagnostic overshadowing in people with autism and a learning disability, according to new research. Diagnostic overshadowing happens when medics automatically attribute a person’s symptoms to their autism or learning disability without assessing for other health problems. Specialist dentist Mona Yekezare says many dentists are turning to the Oliver McGowan training to help them tackle diagnostic overshadowing The new research suggests educating dentists to make reasonable adjustments to mitigate diagnostic overshadowing. No ‘clea ..read more

A retired judge says the growing use of deprivation of liberty (DoL) safeguarding orders is symptomatic of a “catastrophic failure“ to provide suitable care for children with complex needs. Sir James Munby said the UK Government has failed to address the lack of suitable care in any effective way. Retired judge Sir James Munby has raised concerns about the lack of suitable placements for vulnerable children with complex needs Application of DoL orders DoL orders allow the High Court to lock up children in unregulated placements when beds are unavailable on mental health wards or at regulated ..read more

The mother of a teenage boy who took his own life after a spell in adult psychiatric care said no young person should experience these settings. Dr Jane Macdonnell said autistic son Harris, 19, was afraid of returning to Huntlyburn House. It is a mental health facility at Borders General Hospital in the Scottish Borders. Harris Macdonnell with dad Dave Harris experienced a mental health crisis at just 16. ‘No obvious autistic traits’ Paediatrician Macdonnell, from near Melrose, in the Scottish Borders, says though she had some concerns about her son’s struggles to form friendships, ther ..read more

Plans to text and email carers at risk of benefit overpayments have been welcomed by a charity. Carers UK said it was reacting “positively“ to the move by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Carers UK policy director Emily Holzhausen says alerting those at risk of benefit overpayments is the minimum the charity has called for The DWP faced criticism for prosecuting carers who inadvertently exceeded the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance. Carers have repaid thousands The Guardian has revealed that tens of thousands of carers have repaid thousands of pounds. But Carers UK insists ..read more

A parent campaigner says the delayed closure of scandal-hit Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Northern Ireland is a “shambles”. Glynn Brown says the closure of the facility, in County Antrim, is little more than a poorly planned cost-cutting exercise. Glynn Brown with son Aaron Run by the Belfast Health Trust, Muckamore is at the centre of the UK’s largest-ever police probe into the abuse of vulnerable patients. A public inquiry is also underway. Replacement facility Retired prison officer Brown is the spokesperson for the families’ group Action for Muckamore. Brown, from Dundonald, supports the t ..read more

A lack of suitable accommodation within the community is a key reason why autistic people and people with a learning disability have been unnecessarily detained in hospitals, according to a newly released report. According to the study, many patients are also placed far from home, some for years. In addition, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) research says the underfunding of suitable local provision means children and young people with mental health needs face long waits for essential treatment. Half a million wait for treatment Entitled Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2022/2023, the repo ..read more

Evidence for mitochondrial or cell dysfunction in autism is growing, according to new research. The researchers suggest a subset of children on the autism spectrum show biomarkers for mitochondrial problems. Dr Richard E Frye’s review study has found biomarkers linking autism to mitochondrial dysfunction Mitochondria produce the energy needed for cells to survive and function. Child neurologist Dr Richard E Frye, of the Rossignol Medical Center in Arizona, led the research. Mitochondria ‘central’ to autism His team suggests mitochondria are ‘central’ to autism. They say mitochondria contribu ..read more