Care and treatment reviews for people with learning disability and/or autism who are at risk of going into hospital or who are in hospital.
As part of the Transforming Care commitment made by NHS England, ‘care and treatment reviews’ (CTRs) are to be offered to people with learning disabilities who are in hospital beds, and who have requested a review, or where a review has been requested by their family, or commissioner.
CTRs were developed as part of NHS England’s commitment to improving the care of people with learning disabilities or autism. They aim to reduce unnecessary admissions and lengthy stays in specialist hospitals, and have been rolling out since October 2014. More than 1,400 people had their care reviewed up to March this year, with hundreds more since.
They bring those responsible for the care of those who are in, or at risk of being admitted to, specialist hospitals around the table with the individual themselves and their families, as well as independent clinicians and experts by experience, to ensure the care needs of that individual are being met.
Care and treatment review
Policy and Guidance has been produced by building on the learning from the reviews which have taken place so far, including extensive engagement with people with learning disabilities, their representatives and their families.
The embedding of CTRs across the health and care system aims to:
- Ensure people with learning disabilities and/or autism and their families are listened to, and treated as equal partners in their own care and treatment
- Prevent unnecessary admissions into inpatient settings
- Ensure any admission is supported by a clear rationale with measurable outcomes
- Ensure all parties, including local councils, work together with the person and their family to support discharge into the community – or to a more appropriate setting – at the earliest opportunity
- Help people challenge current care and treatment plans where necessary
- Identify barriers to progress and to how these could be overcome.
In line with the priorities of the Transforming Care programme, it is intended that CTRs will involve a significant shift in commissioning towards high quality community-based services that will lead to the closure of some inpatient beds and facilities.
If you are at risk of going into an assessment and treatment unit or are an inpatient within an assessment and treatment unit, please read the leaflets provided to see if you can have a care and treatment review.