'I have my freedom after so long stuck in the hospital'

He was trapped in medical units for a decade because of his autism but now Nicholas Thornton is finally free. He tells Rebecca Thomas how, for a period, the ordeal robbed him of his speech and why a brighter future awaits as he nears 30

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Just one year ago, Nicholas Thornton lay in a windowless hospital room, in a bed he could not leave on his own, unable to speak.

He had spent 10 years like this, in hospital wards – as well as in unsuitable dementia care homes and psychiatric units – all because he had learning disabilities and autism. Nicholas was finally able to tell his story to The Independent and Channel 4 News, communicating through a laptop to reveal how he had been repeatedly failed by the care system.

Now, 12 months on, he is finally free at the age of 29 – and in a home of his own. His incredible transformation since leaving Rochard Hospital, in Essex, means he is now able to leave his house unassisted and has even regained his speech. “It’s like I have my life back, I have my freedom back... for so long I was just stuck in the hospital. I have my freedom,” he said.

But while Nicholas reaps the benefits of his new life, there are more than 2,000 people just like him, stuck in hospitals across the country because there is no suitable care for them outside.

Hundreds have been trapped in hospital for more than five years, unable to be discharged into the community as local authorities struggle to come up with funding to meet their needs – and some have become so deeply institutionalised that their needs are now extremely complex.

Ministers have introduced a new Mental Health Bill meaning patients with a learning disability and autism would only be sectioned under the Mental Health Act for a maximum of 28 days. But the changes to the act are unlikely to have prevented what happened to Nicholas, who ended up in inappropriate settings primarily because of a breakdown in care packages.