Responding to the publication of the LeDeR annual report 2022 into the avoidable deaths of people with learning disabilities and action from learning report, Dr Rhidian Hughes says:
‘The avoidable and premature deaths of people with a learning disability continues to be a national scandal. It is a stark reality that people could have lived longer if they’d got the care and support they needed.
‘The latest report shows that almost half of all of the people with a learning disability who died, died an avoidable death.
‘Although there has been green shoots of progress, including a reduction in avoidable deaths from last year, and increased reporting of deaths of people with a learning disability and the start of reporting of the deaths of autistic people without a learning disability; one avoidable death is too many.
‘We know that people with a learning disability are more vulnerable to Covid-19, flu and to heatwaves. We know further improvements are needed to ensure early detection and prevention of health issues experienced by people with a learning disability and autistic people. We know people from minority ethnic communities face even more acute health inequalities. We also know that there are effective measures that can prevent avoidable deaths.
‘Good practice does exist. Health, social care, the housing sector and education all have an important role to play in improving health outcomes for disabled people, as does the voluntary sector. Only together can we challenge the attitudes and perceptions that put up barriers to people living longer and healthier lives.’
ENDS
Notes
- LeDeR is a service improvement programme for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
- It is essential that we continue to promote LeDeR reporting of deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people without a learning disability. We stand ready to work with the LeDeR team to amplify awareness campaigns in the coming months.
- The 2022 LeDeR report into the avoidable deaths of people with learning disabilities can be found here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/2022-leder-report-into-the-avoidable-deaths-of-people-with-learning-disabilities
- The latest LeDeR Action Learning Report can be found here: https://leder.nhs.uk/resources/action-from-learning-report