Learning Disabilities Mortality Review

Debate between Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom and Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

Wednesday 15th May 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

The noble Baroness is absolutely right that this issue must be a top priority, and I assure her that the Secretary of State is taking it as such. I repeat that it is entirely inappropriate that disability of any kind—in particular, learning disability or Down’s syndrome—should ever be used as a reason for a DNR, and that NHS England will be writing to all doctors to remind them of this fact. It will be made absolutely clear.

The noble Baroness is right that there should be no reason for people with learning disability to have a different life expectancy. A commitment has already been made in the long-term plan to address those challenges, including increasing the uptake of annual GP health checks for people with learning disabilities to 75%, as it is recognised that physical care for those with learning disabilities is not as effective as it should be; creating a digital flag on patient records for all people with learning disabilities and autism by 2023; and reducing the number of in-patients with learning disabilities by half by 2024. We are increasing the pace with which we do that.

The noble Baroness’s last point, which is really important, concerns ensuring that all those working in the health system are trained to treat those with learning disabilities. A consultation on this matter has just closed and we will respond to that in the next two to three months.

[Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom (Con)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for her helpful answers so far. Is one of the problems that there is a contradiction between our natural desire to make sure that there is no variation in treatment or administration across the country and our equally natural desire to ensure that local people can make decisions on the basis of their local resources? Is there a sense that the Government cannot win?

[Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford]

In my view, there should be no variability in the quality of care that a person with learning disabilities receives in whatever part of the country they are in. That is exactly why the LeDeR was brought in, why we have brought in a care review to understand why there is variation, why we are bringing in support through training for those delivering care and why we are bringing in measures under the long-term plan: so that individuals can be identified and flagged up to healthcare professionals who, once they have the training, can apply it and bring in proper healthcare for individuals so that they do not see the life expectancy challenges in healthcare we have been seeing until now.