Learning Disability Today
Supporting professionals working in learning disability and autism services

People with a learning disability “written off” during pandemic, Mencap tells Covid Inquiry

People with a learning disability were ‘written off’ during the pandemic, with many refused lifesaving care simply because of their disability, according to new evidence shared by Mencap at the Covid Inquiry.

Mencap’s Executive Director of Strategy and Influencing Jackie O’Sullivan told the Covid Inquiry that during the pandemic, people with learning disabilities were treated in a way that caused “fear, distress and put their lives at risk.”

The charity is now urging the government to ‘right the wrongs’ people with a learning disability faced during the pandemic by including their views and needs in the NHS 10-year-plan.

Covid Inquiry told how a lack of reasonable adjustments and blanket DNR orders put people’s lives at risk

People with a learning disability die far earlier than the general population, with only two fifths reaching their 65th birthday. During the first wave of the pandemic, people with a learning disability were up to four times more likely to die from Covid.

While measures were put in place to protect vulnerable groups from contracting the virus (such as shielding), the Covid Inquiry heard that people with learning disabilities who contracted Covid and were admitted to hospital were often left without vital support.

Indeed, O’Sullivan said that there was a significant lack of reasonable adjustments made for people with a learning disability around being accompanied in an ambulance in an emergency or having visitors in hospital, with many left ‘isolated and afraid’ with no one to offer comfort or explain what was going on. These communication problems were exacerbated by PPE which obscured facial expressions, making it harder to communicate.

In addition, when people with a learning disability were discharged from hospital, they were often left without adequate support, ending up in unfamiliar care settings which caused distress and confusion.

The blanket use of Do Not Resuscitate orders (DNRs) were also discussed at the Covid Inquiry. O’Sullivan spoke about how GPs contacted care settings where people with a learning disability lived advising that they shouldn’t be treated or even resuscitated if they were admitted to hospital with Covid symptoms. They were being assessed using a clinical tool known as the Clinical Frailty Scale which is supposed to be used for assessing over 65s.

Related Posts
1 of 861

April Sly, 63, says her brother Nigel was discriminated against by doctors and nurses for having a learning disability when he was admitted to hospital with Covid in April 2020.

“A doctor asked me if I would want Nigel to be ventilated saying they often don’t do it ‘for people like Nigel’. I was shocked as it felt like they were writing him off just because he had a learning disability. My brother was only 60 and led a happy, healthy life.

“A nurse later told us they had made a decision not to resuscitate and to withdraw treatment but the reasons didn’t stack up – they said he had no quality of life but this was simply not true. He loved his busy life up to Covid: he read, had a season ticket at his favourite football club and, like everyone, deserved to live a long life. I fell ill and couldn’t be with Nigel in his final moments and the lack of training and learning disability nurses meant he had no one to help him communicate or advocate for him,” she said.

“The government has a chance to learn from mistakes”

Mencap is now urging the government to tackle the inequalities faced people with a learning disability face by introducing mandatory training for doctors and nurses on learning disability and autism, implementing new learning disability improvement standards, and addressing pressures on NHS staff to allow them to have enough time to support people with a learning disability with reasonable adjustments.

“For too long people with a learning disability have faced outdated attitudes, and when these are present within the NHS, they experience a healthcare system that dangerously fails to meet their needs.

“During the pandemic, stretched NHS resources and pressured decision-making meant that biases and discrimination became more visible and people with a learning disability suffered because of it. They were treated in a way that caused fear, distress and put their lives at risk.

“The NHS 10 Year Plan is an opportunity to right some of the wrongs for people with a learning disability and start giving them the same chance of a long and healthy life as everyone else. Government has a chance to learn from mistakes that have gone before and will need to truly listen to the experiences of people with a learning disability throughout this consultation process,” says O’Sullivan.

author avatar
Lauren Nicolle
Lauren is a qualified journalist who writes primarily across the health and social care sectors. She is passionate about exposing the injustices faced by people with a learning disability, with a particular focus on equal access to healthcare.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More