Healthy Life Expectancy: England

Lord Scriven Excerpts

Monday 18th May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I definitely agree. That is why data, particularly that which drives us to make funding decisions to get funding to where it is needed most, is absolutely crucial. I find the term “healthy life expectancy” more useful than what used to be called “life expectancy”. That, to me, was always only one side of the coin. However, I take on board the point that the noble Lord makes.

[Lord Scriven (LD)]

My Lords, people with a learning disability enter periods of multimorbidity and chronic illness 20 to 30 years earlier than those without a learning disability. What are the Government going to do to stop this national scandal?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I accept that this is completely unacceptable. There are groups, including those the noble Lord rightly raises, which have an even worse healthy life expectancy. As I mentioned, we will be redesigning the system and making the shifts in the 10-year plan, in order that we target the areas and the groups that need it most. I can certainly tell the noble Lord that the most recent prevalence review on mental health will include those who have ADHD, those with autism and those with learning disability. That will take us forward, too.