National health and care systems in the UK are not designed to look after people with learning disabilities effectively.
That’s the key finding from a report on the care of learning-disabled adults in acute NHS hospitals.
Campaigner Paula McGowan expressed disappointment over how people with learning disabilities are still treated in hospitals
The Health Services Investigations Body (HSIB) compiled the report. It found that people with learning disabilities are “often cared for by staff without specialist training, skills and experience”.
Death of 79-year-old learning disabled man
The HSIB produced its report following the hospital death of a 79-year-old learning-disabled man during the pandemic in 2021.
He died of a heart attack and kidney failure after a fortnight in hospital.
The unidentified man stayed at three locations, where different staff cared for him.
He saw five consultants, which made it difficult to build rapport and for the doctors to recognise changes.
The unidentified hospital made the moves to contain Covid-19.
Multiple shortcomings
The report also found shortcomings in identifying, assessing, recording and sharing information on his learning disability and the reasonable adjustments he needed.
Other problems included training staff without specialist skills and the lack of availability of specialist support.
Campaigner Paula McGowan fought to ensure all NHS staff receive training in autism and learning disability after the death of her 18-year-old son, Oliver, in hospital.
Same stories ‘repeated over and over’
Teacher McGowan, 58, from Bristol, says she cannot believe how “in 2023 the same stories, investigations alongside recommendations are being repeated over and over”.
Oliver, who had a mild learning disability, epilepsy and autism, died after an allergic reaction to antipsychotic medication.
The teenager had reacted badly when trialled on an antipsychotic a year earlier. Nevertheless, the hospital gave him the drug against his wishes and those of his family.
Autism Eye approached NHS England for a comment, but it did not respond.
Related:
Published: 30 November 2023
