Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the report from the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death Learning together, published on 11 June, what directions they plan to give to integrated care boards under the medium-term planning framework to ensure the equitable commissioning of hospital-based learning disability liaison nurses and multi-disciplinary community in-reach services across all acute hospital trusts.

We welcome the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death’s Learning Together, A review of the quality of care provided to adults with a learning disability when admitted to hospital acutely unwell report and we are committed to improving the health outcomes of people with a learning disability.

The Government’s approach, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, is to ensure a clear national framework for the National Health Service while empowering local systems to design and deliver services that best meet the needs of their populations. Within this approach, integrated care boards act as strategic commissioners to ensure care better meets patients’ needs at a local level. Decisions about the design of services are matters for independent NHS employing organisations, who manage service delivery at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care, based on population need. This includes investing in the future of their workforce and ensuring appropriate ongoing training and continuing professional development so that they can continue to provide safe and effective care.

We recognise the value of involving patients and family carers in decisions about the care of people with a learning disability. The NHS England website has information to support services, including acute trusts, with involving family carers of people with a learning disability and autistic people.

There are currently no plans to establish senior learning disability consultant roles based on the model in the Netherlands. NHS England published guidance in 2023, updated in 2025, to support frontline staff in acute hospitals caring for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

Under the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers must be able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. The Information Standard is mandated across all publicly funded health and social care providers, commissioners, and IT suppliers. As a mandatory information standard, compliance is supported through contractual and regulatory mechanisms.