New training has been launched to ensure people with autism and learning disabilities are treated fairly by the NHS.
The Oliver McGowan training will be rolled out as mandatory for health and care staff.
Oliver McGowan, whose death has provided the impetus to improve training for NHS staff on learning disabilities and autism
Oliver’s mother Paula fought a long campaign for the scheme after the death of her son in 2016.
The 18-year-old suffered an allergic reaction to antipsychotic medication that left his brain so swollen it began to come out of the base of his skull.
McGowan maintains that her family warned medics at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital, who gave her son the drug, that it was not suitable.
Mums who fought for sons’ lives
The training rollout follows a two-year trial involving 8,300 staff.
But McGowan, 57, who now lives in New South Wales, Australia, said two recent cases show it will be a massive job to change attitudes among NHS staff.
One of the cases concerns William Verden, 17, who has autism, ADHD and a learning disability.
NHS medics tried to deny Verden a life-saving kidney transplant.
But his mother Ami McLennan, from Lancaster, fought successfully to have the decision overturned.
The other case concerns Robert Bourn, 32, who has autism, Fragile X syndrome and a learning disability. When health staff diagnosed Bourn with testicular cancer, they said he should get end-of-life care.
But his mother Sharon, from Gateshead, fought for a second opinion. It resulted in her son receiving a modified form of chemotherapy. He has now received the all-clear.
‘Journey has just begun’
McGowan said the “journey has just begun” for the new training, which is designed to challenge “inequality in healthcare”.
The training is in two parts. The first includes e-learning for staff who need general awareness. The second is for those who care for autistic and learning-disabled people, who will undergo face-to-face training.
Health secretary Steve Barclay said the training was a “vital next step to address existing health inequalities”.
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Published: 3 November 2022
