Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with learning difficulties are not discriminated against when receiving medical care.

It is the responsibility of local providers and commissioners of NHS services to make the reasonable adjustments required by the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.

Additionally, under the NHS Constitution, National Health Service organisations are required to provide high quality comprehensive services, based on clinical need, which do not discriminate between patients on the basis of disability, including a learning disability.

NHS Improvement has published Learning Disability Improvement Standards for NHS trusts in England to help ensure that trusts monitor and review the care they provide to people with a learning disability or autism. Compliance with these standards will ensure that trusts assure themselves that they have the necessary structures, processes, workforce and skills to deliver the outcomes that people with learning disabilities and autism expect. The Care Quality Commission is working with NHS Improvement to consider how they can encourage trusts to adopt and work to the standards.