Patients with a learning disability receive poor care says new report by Healthcare Commission

Monday 03 December 2007

A major audit of 154 learning disability services in England conducted by the Healthcare Commission has revealed that people with a learning disability are receiving sub-standard care. 

A life like no other - a national audit of specialist inpatient health services for people with learning difficulties in England, published today (3 December 2007), exposes "insufficient attention to safeguarding vulnerable people across all aspects of their care".

The Healthcare Commission audit follows the abuse exposed at learning disability services provided by Primary Care Trusts in Cornwall and Sutton and Merton.

Dame Jo Williams, chief executive of learning disability charity, Mencap, comments: "The report exposes numerous concerns about the quality of life experienced by people with a learning disability in healthcare services.  The lack of attention to the needs of each individual is deeply shocking.

"Institutional care breeds isolation and can lead to abuse of some of our most vulnerable citizens - as seen recently in Cornwall and Sutton and Merton.

"It is essential that follow-up audits are conducted frequently by the new regulator for health and social care and that each service provider introduces processes that ensure high quality services day-in-day-out.  Immediate action must be taken to make sure that poor care for people with a learning disability is stamped out."

For more information visit http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/