The Committee’s report, finds The GMC has worked hard to put in place effective safeguards to weed out the small number of doctors that present a risk to patients.
Mencap thinks the Health Committee findings are in complete contradiction to many of the experiences of people with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
, their family members and carers.
Some doctors do not deliver reasonably adjusted healthcare as required by the
Equality
Equality is when everyone is treated fairly.
Act, and do not act in line with the
Mental Capacity
Mental capacity means being able to make a decision when it needs to be made.
Act.
However, despite Mencap supporting several referrals to the GMC Fitness to Practice, to date only one individual doctor has been sanctioned as a result of the poor care they have delivered to a person with a learning disability.
Jan Tregelles, Chief Executive of the Royal Mencap Society, commented on the report:
The Health Committees findings are in complete contradiction to many of the experiences of people with a learning disability, their family members and carers. 1,200 people with a learning disability die avoidably within the NHS every single year.
We have found [1] a reason for this to be that some doctors continue to make discriminatory assumptions about their quality of life, do not deliver reasonably adjusted healthcare as required by the Equality Act, and do not act in line with the Mental Capacity Act. However, despite Mencap supporting several referrals to the GMC Fitness to Practice, to date only one individual doctor has been sanctioned as a result of the poor care they have delivered to a person with a learning disability.
By the end of today a further three people with a learning disability could have died in the NHS. To help prevent this, the GMC’s Fitness to Practice procedures are in urgent need of reform.
These are people like Kirsty Jayne Pearce who was just 17 years old when she died avoidably within the NHS. It took Chas, her father, nearly 10 years to get answers. In 2011, an Inquest finally took place and concluded serious medical failings in the care contributed to Kirsty’s death, however, the GMC have subsequently refused to re-open the case.
-ENDS-
For more information or to arrange an
interview
An interview is a meeting where you talk to someone or a group of people about something. When you have an interview for a job, you have to answer questions and say why you would be good at the job. The person who gives the best answers is offered the job.
with a Mencap
spokesperson
A spokesperson is someone who speaks up about something. They usually speak up on behalf of a group or
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
.
or a
case study
A case study is a piece of writing that tells people more information about someone's experience.
, contact Mencap Press Office, on 020 7696 5414 or media@mencap.org.uk.
Notes to editors
[1] Mencap’s Death by indifference Case exposed the unequal healthcare and institutional
discrimination
Discrimination is when someone is treated differently (usually in a bad way) because of things like their disability or their
religion
Religion is to do with the things you believe about the world. For example you may believe there is a god or something else. Examples of religions are Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.
.
that people with a learning disability often experience within the NHS.
About Mencap
There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK . Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
,
employment
Employment means having a job.
and
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
facilities.
Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or email help@mencap.org.uk.