Recurring concern
Insufficient suitable acute mental-health settings for neurodiverse patients
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Request correctionFirst reported 26 Jan 2023•Latest report 5 Feb 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the availability, suitability, acceptance, design or operation of acute mental-health inpatient, crisis or interim holding settings specifically for neurodiverse patients, including tailored inpatient options, beds able to accept autistic patients, therapeutic crisis alternatives and suitable environments while awaiting mental-health admission or assessment.
Not included
- Excludes generic mental-health bed shortages, crisis-service capacity or unsuitable emergency-department environments where neurodiverse patients' specific accommodation needs are not material.
- Excludes broader failures to provide accessible healthcare for people with complex neurodevelopmental needs when no acute mental-health crisis, inpatient or holding-setting condition is identified.
- Excludes failures in the quality of clinical treatment, assessment or support after a suitable acute setting has been provided.
- Excludes routine community mental-health access, long-term social care and non-acute accommodation concerns without a direct acute mental-health placement or holding context.
- Reports
- 4
- Individual concerns
- 5
- Date range
- 2023–2025
- Stated actions
- 11
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Unsuitability of A&E as a holding environment for people awaiting mental health beds
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.6
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Action
Commission and extend 14 additional independent-sector acute adult mental health beds to support winter pressures and capacity.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board -
Action
Work with partners to improve timely discharge and support prompt admission for people awaiting mental health inpatient care.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board -
Action
Measure response times for people presenting to urgent and emergency mental-health services to support faster access to appropriate care.
Stated by NHS England
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Action
Monitor patients waiting more than 72 hours in emergency departments for mental-health placements and escalate cases nationally for executive intervention.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Provide trusts and systems with action cards to reduce emergency-department waiting times, including actions for people with complex learning disabilities and autism.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Develop and finalise a South East standard operating procedure for managing mental-health presentations in A&E departments.
Stated by NHS England
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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Position
NHS Sussex has no role in setting up or managing NHS provider environments, including A&E mental health facilities.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
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Position
NHS provider organisations are responsible for ensuring existing environments follow national guidance and undertaking required risk assessments.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
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Concerns raised2
Unsuitable A&E holding environment for autistic or neurodiverse people needing mental health beds
Shortage of inpatient beds able to accept autistic patients
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Request a formal review of SPFT and subcontracted inpatient-bed use to ensure patients’ needs, including autistic patients’ needs, are appropriately accommodated.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
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Position
The setup and environment of existing provider premises fall outside NHS Sussex’s role; providers must follow national guidance and conduct risk assessments.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
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Position
No formal reports substantiate claims that public or private providers refused autistic patients because of their additional risks.
Stated by NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board
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Concerns raised1
Unsuitability of the A&E environment as a holding place for people awaiting mental health beds
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Commit £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres.
Stated by Department of Health and Social Care -
Action
Establish Mental Health Response Vehicles to assess and treat people away from A&E.
Stated by NHS England -
Action
Publish guidance for meeting autistic adults’ needs in mental health services, including sensory adjustments relevant to acute healthcare settings.
Stated by NHS England
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Concerns raised1
Unavailability of inpatient options tailored to patients with neurodiverse conditions in acute crisis
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Establish the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme to support cultural and care-model change across NHS-funded inpatient settings.
Stated by NHS England
Data last updated 7 September 2026