A recent report from the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) looks at how people with a learning disability with diabetes can be put at risk when the right insulin maintenance support is not in place.
At Bild, we welcome the report which includes the assertion that many people with a learning disability can manage parts of their own health and medication when information, education and support are clear, accessible and centred on the person.
The report also highlights something that we also see at Bild, in that, people with learning disabilities who are not adequately supported to manage their health can go on to have further health complications. As with other conditions, the report shows that insulin administration for people with a learning disability needs to be planned carefully, reviewed regularly and adapted to each person’s needs.
The findings also point to wider issues in the health and care system. Too often, people with a learning disability are not given accessible information, reasonable adjustments or the support they need to build confidence in managing diabetes. Learning disability is not always recorded accurately in health records, which can mean important support is missed. Staff may also find it difficult to access specialist learning disability advice when they need it.
The report includes learning prompts that may help NHS providers and integrated care boards think about how they respond to this patient safety issue locally. These prompts could help services to provide safer, fairer and more personalised support.
Kate Brackley, Co-Chair of Bild for the Future and Trustee and Learning Disability Advisor at Bild, said: “People with learning disabilities need a lot more support with diabetes. Especially around insulin, as it’s an injection and what happens if it goes wrong? I had a friend who died from diabetes related causes and I feel sad, knowing that if she had extra help she wouldn’t have died. It is really good to see this organisation making easy read resources and people with learning disabilities need to know about this.”
Lindsey Allen, Programme Lead – Health Inequalities and Coproduction at Bild, said: “It is fantastic that HSSIB is giving attention to diabetes management for people with a learning disability. People with learning disabilities are more likely to develop diabetes than the general population and often at a younger age. This report highlights the importance of prioritising good preventative care and support to make sure that people receive the right support to both prevent diabetes where possible and manage it effectively when it does occur.”
Bild encourages NHS providers, integrated care boards, commissioners and healthcare professionals to read the report and share the learning prompts with colleagues involved in diabetes care.