Answers do exist: fixing the ATU problem post-Panorama

The BBC Panorama investigation, which has uncovered abuse at one of the UK’s largest mental health hospitals, is yet another example of patients in in-patient units being subjected to abuse and mistreatment.

The “toxic culture of humiliation, verbal abuse and bullying” at The Edenfield Centre, in Prestwich near Manchester, demonstrates that the very settings that should be supporting and providing safety to patients, are letting them and their families down.

11 years on from the scandal at Winterbourne View, little has changed.

NHS figures show that 2,000 people with learning disabilities and/or autism are locked in hospitals, often far from their family, at increased risk of abuse.

If at all, hospital should only ever be a small step on a pathway.

Based on our experience, Dimensions has a practical plan: “Broken system, broken lives,” which we are sharing widely across government. You can help too by sharing this with your MP.

Because with the right support, virtually everyone can live well in their local community.