Dan Scorer, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the
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.
charity Mencap, said:
“It’s worrying to see waiting lists at record levels, particularly for people with a learning disability who faced serious barriers accessing healthcare even before COVID. Before the pandemic, people with a learning disability were already more likely to die avoidably and died far younger than the general population. Earlier this year one hospital trust decided to prioritise people with a learning disability for elective treatment after analysis showed they were disproportionately affected by lengthy waits for care. We urge other trusts to follow their lead - COVID has shown us that health inequalities can no longer be ignored.
“The report also highlights the widespread staff shortages in both health and social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it. . In healthcare, the report notes there are shortages in nearly every specialty - we know this includes a huge shortage of learning disability nurses and the Government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work. must commit more investment in training and retaining staff. This crucial role is key to ensuring people with a learning disability get the healthcare support they need.
“And while social care workers are already going above and beyond to ensure people with a learning disability get the support they have a right to, there are huge staff shortages and they are trying to do this in a sector under immense pressure. The workforce, and the people they support, need the Government to take urgent action by developing a comprehensive workforce plan that properly recognises the highly-skilled role that the care workforce provides and backing this up with sufficient additional funding to enable this to take place. This will provide the vital bedrock on which people with a learning disability can receive the high-quality support they need and deserve.”
-ENDS-
For further 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
case study
A case study is a piece of writing that tells people more information about someone's experience.
, please contact Mencap’s media team on: media@mencap.org.uk or 020 7696 5414 (including out of hours).
Notes to editors:
About Mencap
There are approximately 1.5 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: www.mencap.org.uk
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap’s Freephone Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111 (10am-3pm, Monday-Friday) or email helpline@mencap.org.uk.
What is a learning disability?
- A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which means that people might need support with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places – which affects someone for their whole life;
- Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty, such as
dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. People who have dyslexia can find it hard to read, write and spell.
. Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘learning disability’; - People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.