Autism policy and services: Health and social care

Warning: This briefing discusses suicide, which some readers may find distressing.

This briefing will form part of a collection of briefings on autism policy and services.

What is autism?

The UK National Autistic Society (NAS) describes autism as a lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how people experience and interact with the world. It is a spectrum condition that affects people in different ways. According to the NAS, autistic people may have:

• different communication styles, skills and preferences to non-autistic people
• repetitive and restrictive behaviours and interests (many autistic people see these behaviours as positive and helpful)
• over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to the five main senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch) and to the senses of balance, movement, spatial awareness and awareness of internal states

Some autistic people also have a learning disability. Autistic people are more likely to experience mental health problems than non-autistic people.

What terminology does this briefing use?

This briefing uses terminology recommended by the NAS. It uses the term ‘autistic people’ unless quoting text from another publication.

Autism is sometimes referred to as ‘autism spectrum disorder’, ‘autistic spectrum disorder’ or ‘autism spectrum condition’. These terms are often used in relation to medical diagnoses and data reporting. Where these terms are used in the briefing, it is to reflect the data or text source they are referring to.

Health policy and autism

Responsibility for autism services and waiting times for assessments

Integrated care boards (NHS organisations responsible for planning health services for their local population; they replaced clinical commissioning groups in 2022) are responsible for making available appropriate provision for autism assessments and support services for autistic people. ICBs should commission services in line with guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

NICE has said people referred for an autism assessment should be seen within three months. In April 2023, NHS England (NHSE) published a national framework to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways: guidance for integrated care boards. The median waiting time ranged between 264 and 357 days (roughly nine to 12 months) between April and December 2024.

Current government policy

The government has said it will publish a 10 Year Health Plan in spring 2025.

In November 2024, the government introduced the Mental Health Bill [HL] in the House of Lords. The bill is intended to reduce the detention of autistic people and people with a learning disability under the Mental Health Act 1983, and to strengthen safeguards for autistic people and people with a learning disability who are subject to the act. For more information see section 1.6 of this briefing and the House of Lords and House of Commons Library briefings on Mental Health Bill [HL]: HL Bill 47 of 2024–25 and Reforming the Mental Health Act.

Mandatory staff training

The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a new legal requirement for all health and social care service providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC, the independent regulator of social care in England) to ensure their employees receive training on autism and learning disability at a level appropriate to their role. See section 1.3 for more information on mandatory staff training.

Physical healthcare for autistic people

The NHS Long Term Plan and the National strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026, include actions to improve autistic people’s physical health. This includes expanding NHS England’s Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) programme to include autistic people (it previously only covered people with a learning disability). The NHS is also implementing a reasonable adjustments digital flag, to ensure that professionals are aware that someone is autistic and may require reasonable adjustments.

In October 2024, NHS England (NHSE) announced the NHS would roll out free eyesight, hearing and dental checks for children at residential special schools from 2025. For more information on physical healthcare see section 1.4 below.

Mental healthcare for autistic people

Successive governments have committed to reducing the number of autistic people and people with a learning disability in inpatient mental health settings. This included a commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan to reduce inpatient provision for autistic people and people with a learning disability by 50% (compared with 2015 levels) by 2023/24. In February 2025, 2,055 autistic people and people with a learning disability were inpatients, down 29% from 2,905 inpatients in March 2015. However, the number of inpatients with autism only (without a learning disability) is higher in 2025 than it was in 2015.  

In July 2022, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published Building the right support for people with a learning disability and autistic people: action plan. The plan built updated the Building the Right Support plan published in 2015. It focused on actions to develop community services and reduce reliance on inpatient mental health beds. See section 1.5 below for more information on reducing inpatient mental health care for autistic people.

The Suicide prevention strategy for England: 2023 to 2028 says evidence suggests that autistic people may be at higher risk of dying by suicide than people who are not autistic. The strategy says there needs to be a focus on improving the evidence base on suicide prevention and autism. For more information see the Library’s briefings on suicide prevention.

Adult social care

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have duties relating to the provision of adult social care services, which apply to everyone, including autistic adults.

A government-commissioned capabilities statement provides guidance for people involved in delivering social work to autistic adults. Further resources and guidance on supporting autistic people are available on the website of Skills for Care, the workforce development and planning body for adult social care in England.

In January 2025, the government announced it had appointed Baroness Louise Casey to chair an independent commission on adult social care to make recommendations on how to “rebuild the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population.” The commission is expected to begin in April 2025.

Children’s social care

Under the Children Act 1989, local authorities have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in need by providing appropriate services. A child is classed as in need if they are disabled.

Concerns have been raised, however, about the difficulties autistic children can face accessing support from children’s social care.

In October 2024, the Law Commission published a consultation on the legal framework for children’s social care. The consultation suggested the current law was out of date and provisionally recommended the creation of a new legal framework. The commission is currently reviewing responses to the consultation before it makes final recommendations to the government.