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Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme Second Annual Report: Government Response

The deaths reviewed by the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) showed that, compared with the general population, the median age of death is 23 years younger for men with a learning disability and 29 years young for women, often for entirely avoidable reasons. The second annual LeDeR report was published in May 2018 and made nine key recommendations, all of which have been accepted by the Government. In the Government response to the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme Second Annual Report (available here, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England jointly set out their formal response to each of the recommendations. The recommendations are:

1. Strengthen collaboration and information sharing, and effective communication, between different care providers or agencies.
2. Put forward the electronic integration (with appropriate security controls) of health and social care records to ensure that agencies can communicate effectively, and share relevant information in a timely way.
3. Health Action Plans developed as part of the Learning Disabilities Annual Health Check should be shared with relevant health and social care agencies involved in supporting the person (either with consent or following the appropriate Mental Capacity Act decision-making process).
4. All people with learning disabilities with two or more long-term conditions (related to either physical or mental health) should have a local, named health care coordinator.
5. Providers should early identify people requiring the provision of reasonable adjustments, record the adjustments that are required, and regularly audit their provision.
6. Mandatory learning disability awareness training should be provided to all staff, delivered in conjunction with people with learning disabilities and their families.
7. There should be a national focus on pneumonia and sepsis in people with learning disabilities, to raise awareness about their prevention, identification and early treatment.
8. Local services strengthen their governance in relation to adherence to the MCA, and provide training and audit of compliance ‘on the ground’ so that professionals fully appreciate the requirements of the Act in relation to their own role.
9. A strategic approach be taken nationally for training of those conducting mortality reviews or investigations, with a core module about the principles of undertaking reviews or investigations, and additional tailored modules for the different mortality review or investigation methodologies.

DHSC and NHS England have set out a number of actions in response to the recommendations which are to be implemented at various stages over the next few years. A LeDeR oversight group will be established and meet regularly to monitor progress against the recommendations. We will keep readers updated with any major developments.