DRC: Inquiry into NHS progress on tackling health inequalities for disabled people

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is reconvening an independent inquiry to probe the Department of Health, the Welsh Assembly, the BMA and the Royal Colleges of GPs and Psychiatrists on what measures and progress have been taken to tackle the acute health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities and mental health problems in the primary care system.

The independent Inquiry Panel (1), chaired by barrister David Wolfe, will sit on Tuesday 24th July, 2007. The Panel will follow up recommendations made by the DRC after its 18 month Formal Investigation into the primary care system in England and Wales found that people with learning disabilities and mental health problems are more likely to have serious health problems, get them younger and die sooner than other citizens (2) .

Despite being high risk groups for a whole range of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, they were less likely to get vital health checks and treatments. There was also very low take up of breast and cervical cancer screening.

Over 50% of people with a learning disability or mental health problem reported difficulties even trying to access their GP because of staff attitudes and lack of training, inflexible appointment systems and inaccessible information.

The DRC’s investigation report, called ‘Equal Treatment: Closing the Gap’, made over 60 recommendations, key of which are:

• Positive incentives in the GP contract to offer regular health checks for people with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems.
• Centrally target these high risk groups in national health inequalities programmes and track progress over time through PSA targets.
• Better commissioning of services by every local health service by analysing what these groups need.
• Ensure screening programmes are targeted correctly at people with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems.
• A timeline of proposed actions produced the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of Health.

ENDS


Notes to Editors

1) Members of the Inquiry Panel are:

Dr David Wolfe – Chair, Barrister at Matrix Chambers. Specialist in disability, health and public law.
Dafydd Wigley - Honorary President of Plaid Cymru; joint president of Mencap Cymru and former Vice Chair of the All Party Disablement Group at the House of Commons.
Dr David Bailey - Deputy Chair BMA, Wales.
Liz Sayce - Chief Executive of RADAR.
Ann Norman - Professional Nurse Adviser: Learning Disabilities/ Prison Nursing, Royal College of Nursing.
Paul Jenkins - Chief Executive of Rethink
Andrew Watkiss - Chair of Harrow Mind
Rachel Monk - Learning Disabilities Action Group.
Andrew Lee - Director, People First.
Dr Rachel Perkins - Director of Quality Assurance at South West London and St George’s NHS Mental Health Trust,
Professor Zenobia Nadirshaw - Head of Clinical Psychology at Kensington and Chelsea PCT.
Dr Philippa Russell - DRC Commissioner
David Congdon - Head of Campaigns & Policy, Mencap.