Dan Scorer, Head of Policy at the learning disability charity Mencap, said:
“More funding to reduce waiting lists is crucial, but it’s even more important that the people who face the most serious barriers accessing healthcare – like people with a learning disability – are prioritised.
“Even before COVID, people with a learning disability were twice as likely to die avoidably and died far younger than the general population, and the pandemic has exacerbated the health inequalities facing this often forgotten group. Earlier this year Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust decided to prioritise people with a learning disability for elective treatment after analysis showed they were disproportionately affected by lengthy waits for care - and we strongly urge other trusts to follow their lead. This could be done through using the GP Learning Disability Register
The learning disability register is a list of people with a learning disability that the doctor’s surgery looks after. , something we want to encourage everyone with a learning disability to join.
“The pandemic has shown us that health inequalities can no longer be ignored - this crisis is a wake-up call to address the shocking levels of avoidable and premature death that people with a learning disability continue to face.”
-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
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
.
, 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 can cause problems 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.