Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme: Fifth Annual Report

I would like to acknowledge today the publication of the fifth annual report of the learning disability mortality review (LeDeR) programme, now known as “Learning from lives and deaths—People with a learning disability and autistic people” by the University of Bristol. A copy will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

Sadly, as set out in today’s report, we know that some people with a learning disability have died from covid-19, and this report provides moving, personal stories of some of those who lost their lives. My deepest sympathies are with their families and loved ones.

This annual report recommends that the needs of people with a learning disability should be built into the national policy response by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the case of future emergency health situations. This is absolutely essential, and throughout the covid-19 pandemic, we have taken action to protect people with a learning disability and used emerging evidence to inform our policy response. For example, in October, we added adults with Down’s syndrome to the clinically extremely vulnerable list following the identification of an elevated risk of severe outcomes for this group of people. And the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation added people with severe and profound learning disabilities to group 6 for the vaccine, and people with Down’s syndrome to group 4.

We value the insight that the LeDeR programme has brought us during the challenging time we have all faced over the past year. We have been able to use data from the LeDeR covid-19 report to inform our response to the pandemic. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team at the University of Bristol for their invaluable work over the past years on the LeDeR programme. Past reports have prompted action across the health and care sector, including the trialling of the Oliver McGowan mandatory training in learning disability and autism.

Today’s report makes several recommendations for Government and their system partners to help to improve the care of people with a learning disability. We remain absolutely committed that people with a learning disability should, and must, receive high quality care which will in turn reduce preventable deaths and health inequalities.

NHS England has published its “Action from Learning” report alongside the fifth LeDeR report, which sets out a range of work taking place to improve the safety and quality of care to reduce early deaths and health inequalities. We welcome the ongoing invaluable work by NHS England, including during the covid-19 pandemic, in this area.

The Government’s focus in 2020 was on the covid-19 response, and our priority was to protect people’s lives. We will publish a response to both the fourth and fifth reports in late summer/autumn of this year, to allow time for us to fully consider the recommendations for the Department, and agree actions, including those on covid-19 related issues and on mandating reporting to the LeDeR programme.