It is heart breaking to learn that Ayla Haines died miles from her family and home in Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, in a mental health hospital due to significant failings in care. Ayla was frightened and distressed at being so far from home and she struggled with the noise and commotion of the hospital ward. Moved from one untherapeutic hospital environment to the next, is any wonder that more harm was done than good?
Ayla had the right to know if she was autistic and she should never have been denied a thorough autism assessment. Sadly, autism is still underdiagnosed and misunderstood in women and girls. While autism is not a mental health condition, autistic people can develop separate mental health issues. Often this can stem from a lack of appropriate support and autism can compound the difficulties that people experience in mental health settings. Ayla’s case has highlighted the need for improved female autism diagnosis, as well as crisis prevention and support, and the need for localised specialist learning disability and autism mental health services.
In relation to Ayla’s case, St Andrews Hospital, Northampton, was eventually placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The ward on which Ayla was placed was closed and the CQC monitored Ayla’s future care. NHS Wales also commissioned an independent report. But Ayla never did have a thorough assessment for autism to ensure an appropriate future placement and treatment. And if Ayla was being monitored, how then did she go on to die from significant failings in care?
Ayla was failed again and again, and tragically it cost Ayla her life.
