Mencap accuses hospitals of discriminating against patients with learning disabilities

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDFeb 15 2012

Mencap - a charity organization claimed today that 74 NHS patients with learning disabilities have needlessly died in the last decade because of discrimination. It accused the health system of failing to provide adequate care to those with learning disabilities.

It called on the government to “make the NHS safe for people with a learning disability” following its report ‘Death by Indifference: 74 Deaths and Counting’.

Specific issues it raised included the failure to abide by disability discrimination law, ignoring crucial advice from families, failing to meet basic care needs, not recognizing pain and distress and delays in diagnosing or treating serious illness. Mencap also claimed that there had been no systematic monitoring by the Department of Health to ensure the health needs of people with a learning disability were being met. Mencap's chief executive Mark Goldring said, “If the government doesn't get to grips with this serious issue more people will die unnecessarily.”

A DoH spokeswoman said, “We share Mencap's concerns that some people with learning disabilities may not be receiving the high-quality health care that they should expect.” The department extended the confidential government-funded inquiry into the premature and avoidable death of people with learning disabilities to the end of March 2013 and will fund the North East Public Health Observatory to focus on improving health care for people with learning disabilities. Annual GP health checks for people with learning disabilities are also carried out, she said.