How many disabled people, including autistic people and people with learning disabilities, are currently placed in long-term hospital or institutional settings, and what steps are being taken to reduce these placements in line with the Welsh Government’s commitment to independent living?
Since 2022, the Welsh Government has been collecting information about the number of adults with a learning disability receiving long-term care in a specialist learning disability or mental health inpatient facility.
The latest available data, from the audit on 8 July 2025, shows 137 people with a learning disability were being cared for long-term in a hospital setting. Of these, 42 (30%) were described as resident in a continuous care environment.
We do not hold data about the number of people with autism or disabilities in long-term hospital settings.
We are committed to the principle that a hospital bed is not a home and wherever it is practical to do so, people should be cared for in the community, at home, or as close to home as possible.
I have set health boards and local authorities the target of improving discharge planning arrangements so people with learning disabilities are supported to leave hospital and return to a community setting sooner.
The Learning Disability Ministerial Advisory Group’s task and finish group is due to submit a report and recommendations about this important issue, which will inform our long-term plans to reduce the number of people with a learning disability who are being cared for long-term in a hospital setting.