Up to 77 per cent of people who are learning disabled miss out on potentially life-saving medical help.
The statistic comes from new research by the charity Mencap. It says more than 1,200 people with a learning disability die from avoidable deaths every year.
Youssef Abidat: didn’t realise he was low on vitamin B12 until he had his annual health check
Just 23 per cent of people with a learning disability have registered with their doctor as having the condition. Only 44 per cent get an annual health check up.
Entitled to extra help
If people with a learning disability tell their doctor about it they have an entitlement to extra help.
This can include more time for appointments, easy-to-read information and yearly health check-ups.
Mencap has launched a campaign with NHS England. It encourages more people with a learning disability to register that fact with their doctor.
The campaign is titled Don’t Miss Out and features a cartoon and an online guide.
Youssef Abidat has a learning disability. He said he didn’t realise he was low on vitamin B12 until he had his annual health check.
“If I didn’t have the check I may have been ill and not realised it,” he said.
Better health outcomes for learning disabled
Rachel Ashcroft specialises in health for Mencap. She said being on the GPs’ learning disability register can make healthcare more accessible and result in “better health outcomes”.
Sarah Lambert is the head of policy at the National Autistic Society (NAS). She said that, acting in desperation, families can use “potentially harmful alternative therapies”.
Instead, it’s important they use “trained local professionals”.
She added: “It’s also crucial that doctors and healthcare professionals understand autism, take the concerns of individuals and families seriously and are able to talk through the potential risks of different forms of support and approaches.”
See Mencap’s guide and cartoon here:
www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/health/dont-miss-out
Published: 29 April 2017
