Access to health

The government white paper Valuing People Now 2009 says ‘Better health for people with learning disabilities is a key priority.' A Mencap report, Death by Indifference 2007 highlighted six case studies of people with learning disabilities who died in hospital. They say ‘it is our belief, and that of their families, that their deaths were avoidable and that institutional discrimination is the underlying cause. We believe that they occurred because of discrimination, indifference, lack of training and a very poor understanding of the needs of people with a learning disability.' Subsequently the Report of the Independent Inquiry into access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities (the 'Michael report') made a variety of recommendations for the NHS and government to improve the situation which were included in valuing People Now.

Government policy and the law requires that people are taken seriously, irrespective of ability or disability. Health services need to make reasonable adjustments under the Disability Discrimination Act to ensure that people are not discriminated against in accessing and receiving care from health services.

One of the most helpful things for people in hospital is very clear communication which involves good quality care plans, paperwork, and face to face communication between ward staff and community teams. Learning disability is so varied and complex that nobody can know all about it. Often sick people lose some of their skills, and signs of illness can be mistaken for signs of learning disability. This is known as 'diagnostic overshadowing'.

To ensure that people get the care and understanding they need while in hospital we need to ensure that hospital staff are equipped with information about the person's needs, preferences and sensitivities. Better quality documents relating to admission, care, and discharge are now available, and In Manchester a patient passport has been introduced. It is known as the 'traffic light system' with its red, amber, and green sections that provide essential information about the person for busy hospital staff. This and other initiatives have been agreed between MLDP and the hospitals in the city