9 February 2024
We were appalled and distressed to read the details of the recent case of failings in care of a gentleman who had Down’s syndrome, who died whilst in hospital in Poole.
Acute hospitals should have specially trained learning disability liaison nurses to provide additional advice and support to the team caring for a patient who has a learning disability and, of course, all staff should be skilled in meeting the needs of any patient who has a learning disability and additional vulnerabilities, such as dementia.
We very much hope that the hospital team will learn from this tragic case and ensure that systems are put in place to ensure that these failings could never be repeated.
We are currently offering free training to Integrated Care Boards across the country focused on the health profile of individuals who have Down’s syndrome and an additional training session focused specifically on Down’s syndrome, ageing and dementia.
We extend our sincere condolences to the family at this very difficult and sad time.