11 October 2022
On 10 October 2022, BBC Panorama broadcast a programme called ‘Will the NHS care for me?’ It was presented by actor and campaigner, Tommy Jessop.
We are grateful to BBC Panorama, the production company and Tommy Jessop for highlighting the health inequalities faced by people who have learning disabilities to a wider audience.
We were shocked and appalled to hear of the experiences of the individuals featured in the programme and send our sincere condolences to their families grieving the loss of a loved-one.
There is an ongoing programme of activity across health services to try to address inequality of access and to improve the quality of care that people who have a learning disability receive. We work closely with the LeDeR (Learning Disabilities Mortality Review) programme, and with NHS colleagues in health improvement along with other learning disability organisations, self-advocacy groups and families working to try and achieve this aim.
There does need to be a greater focus on the accessibility and delivery of annual health checks, to ensure everyone who has a learning disability can receive timely intervention for any health condition they may experience. The DSA provides specialist guidance for medical professionals who are supporting someone who has Down’s syndrome.
Improved training for health professionals, to ensure they are aware of the barriers people who have a learning disability experience is crucial. We are working with professionals and health authorities to develop specific training and resources tailored to the needs of people who have Down’s syndrome.
The ‘Learning from Life and Death Reviews’ carried out by the LeDeR team does record examples of good practice and notes instances where the care received by people who have a learning disability has been of high quality. We must ensure that this good practice is replicated for everyone and that no example of poor practice is allowed to go unchallenged!
Guidance for clinicians around recognising and treating pneumonia, constipation, cancer and sepsis in people who have a learning disability are recent examples of the progress being made.
We would encourage any families of people who have Down’s syndrome who are concerned about the issues raised in the programme to call our Helpline (0333 1212 300 Monday to Friday 10am-4pm, info@downs-syndrome.org.uk).