NEWS

Bild responds to 2022 LeDeR report 

The latest ‘Learning from lives and deaths – People with a learning disability and autistic people’ (LeDeR) report has been published this week by King’s College London. An easy read version of the report is also available.

This annual report looks at deaths of people with learning disabilities in England and aims to improve healthcare for people with a learning disability and autistic people.  

Bild welcomes the release of this important report and in particular, the inclusion of autistic adults without a learning disability. Though data is currently limited, we hope that as the programme continues this will provide new important insights into causes of death and health inequalities for autistic people.  

The report shows that far too many people with learning disabilities are still dying preventable deaths. While the reduction on the previous year is encouraging, more must be done to address health inequalities and support people to live long, happy and healthy lives. 

 Bild’s Programme Lead for Health Inequalities and Coproduction, Lindsey Allen, said: 

This year’s report shows some encouraging signs, such as the small but progressive increase in the median age of death to 62.9 years. However, it also shows that autistic adults with a learning disability have a significantly lower median age of death (55 years), so signs of progress should be viewed with some caution.

The report provides important data that should help inform how we seek to address health inequalities. Middle age continues to be a period of high risk for people with a learning disability, particularly for avoidable deaths, so it is essential more is done to support people to stay well from a young age.

The alarming figures around excess deaths across the period of the July 2022 heatwave show much more needs to be done to support and educate people with a learning disability to stay well in our changing climate. In addition, as heart health appears to be an area for some attention, we need more focus on providing support and education for healthy lifestyles for people with a learning disability.”

 Kate Brackley, Bild Learning Disability Adviser said: 

It is sad to see that 1 in 10 people did not get good care. That is about 360 people! We should be given the support to make sure that anything in relation to health should be prioritised first, so we don’t die from avoidable deaths.

It is good at staff are working together with families and carers, so that they can support people with a learning disability to stay healthy.

We need to really think about people with learning disabilities in the hot weather. I need extra protection from the sun – I get dehydrated too and had heatstroke in 2022, so I know how important this is.

We should stand up and make it a priority that we should be on top of waiting lists. There is a campaign out there called ‘we can’t wait’ and hopefully people will listen to this!