The government's attempt to end the scandal of locking up young adults with autism and/or learning difficulties "does not go far enough at all", says one man whose daughter is confined to a "cell" 24 hours a day.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed that "all 2,250 people with a learning disability and autism who are inpatients in mental health hospitals will have their care reviewed over the next 12 months".

Health Secretary Matt Hancock acknowledged that the current system had issues that needed to be addressed.

Image: Health Secretary Matt Hancock said more than 2,000 cases will be reviewed

Mr Hancock said: "For those living with learning disabilities and autistic people, the current system can leave them in isolation for long periods of time, with no prospect of release into the community.

"I am determined to put this right and today we are committing to reviewing the care of every patient with learning disability and autism over the next 12 months - alongside a clear plan to get them discharged back into their homes and communities."


He added: "I have also asked for advice on separating out the law regarding those with learning disabilities and autism from the law regarding mental health. This will start with those in the most restrictive settings."

Responding to the announcement, Jeremy - the father of an autistic teenager who is being held in a mental health unit - told Sky News: "My reaction, frankly, is anger. This response does not go far enough at all.

"All it does is rehash instructions that were already out there - especially with regards to these reviews that Matt Hancock says will commence."

He says it is already a requirement for patients to have a review every 12 months.

Jeremy's daughter Bethany is locked up 24 hours day without any physical human contact.

He says she is being held in a "cell" where food is served to her by sliding it across the floor.

'My autistic daughter is locked in a cell'

Bethany has autism and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act when she was 15 years old because she was deemed a risk to herself and others. She has been locked up for almost three years.

Jeremy says his daughter's "cell" is "10ft wide, 14ft to 15ft long", and had "no furniture except a mattress on the floor which she sleeps on".

"There is no access to fresh air, not a window she can see out of. It's incredibly bright. Beth's sensory needs are such that she needs somewhere calm. It's noisy, you can hear people on the secure ward. People who are distressed."

He added: "She asked me last week for dolls that smell like human babies because she's lonely and on her own."

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A report into Bethany's care now sits on the health secretary's desk. It makes over 80 separate recommendations to improve Bethany's quality of care.

Jeremy says the government's response to the health care crisis left too many unanswered questions.

He said: "Who will oversee commissioning decisions? And will the reviews be independent? There are so many missed opportunities especially in light of the JCHR report and Beth's report. It's not acting on those recommendations."

The JCHR (Joint Committee on Human Rights) report was published last week and warned that many young people are having their human rights breached by the "horrific" conditions of mental health hospitals.

It found the detention of people with learning disabilities and autism was "often inappropriate" and "causes suffering and does long-term damage" - and the government was told it must urgently overhaul how facilities are inspected to improve standards and protect those who are meant to be being cared for.

Mr Hancock said an independent panel chaired by Baroness Sheila Hollins will be created to address issues raised.

Baroness Hollins said she hoped the new panel would "implement solutions that will transform people's lives".

She said: "I don't think it can ever be right to segregate someone as a form of care, and even more so when there is no planned end date.

"The oversight panel will actively review progress of an action learning project designed to identify existing barriers, and implement solutions that will transform people's lives."