Over a thousand people with a learning disability die prematurely in NHS care every year

Charity Mencap has launched a charter aimed at eliminating inequalities for disabled people, after research revealed 1,200 people with a learning disability die prematurely in NHS care every year.

The charter is aimed at GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which replaced Primary Care Trusts at the beginning of the month. They will be responsible for the majority of England’s health budget, and Mencap is using the charter to ensure the voices of disabled people are heard and their health needs are met.

The charter was launched after research from 'Confidential Inquiry into premature deaths of people with learning disabilities' (CIPOLD), 2013, revealed that, on average, disabled people die 16 years earlier than the rest of the population, which Mencap believe is due to the inequality disabled people experience from the NHS.

Care Services Minister, Norman Lamb, said: "Recent reports and events have clearly shown that we need to have a complete change in culture about the way that people with learning disabilities are treated by our health and social care system."

"Mencap's Charter presents a real challenge to Clinical Commissioning Groups to help bring about these changes and I hope that all Groups will consider signing up to its Charter."

The charter, ‘Getting it right for people with a learning disability, a charter for Clinical Commissioning Groups’ highlights the importance of working with already existing social care services such as home care support for disabled people to live safely and healthily.

Mencap is appealing for CCGs to sign up to a number of pledges, which includes participating in the National Joint Health and Social Care Self Assessment Framework, and working closely with colleagues from the social care sector to ensure disabled people are prevented from mistreatment.

Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap said: “These are avoidable deaths, caused by poor care and delays in diagnosis and treatment by the NHS. They are happening every year and highlight an unacceptable scale of discrimination faced by people with a learning disability.

“New Clinical Commissioning Groups will be key to ending the health inequalities faced by people with a learning disability in the NHS. We want CCGs to sign up to the charter and pledge to commission services that truly meet the needs of people with a learning disability.”

The charter will also see CCG's pledging to ensure that local authorities work closely with social services and housing services to make sure that NHS commissions are well coordinated and can overlap with important care services that disabled people are accessing already.

Since 2010, Mencap has been running the 'Getting it Right' campaign, which aims to support local campaigners, health professionals, GP surgeries, hospitals and healthcare authorities to work together to make improvements.

Getting it right for people with a learning disability, a charter for Clinical Commissioning Groups is available at www.mencap.org.uk/CCGcharter