Cuts to services hitting people with learning disabilities
Published: 16 May 2011
Specialist nurses fear that people with learning disabilities are missing out or facing a reduced service as demands increase, but resources are not being made available, says the Royal College of Nursing.
In a survey of almost 500 learning disability nurses, nearly three quarters of respondents have seen cuts to services in the past year and of those who have, 73 per cent now have real concerns about the safety of their clients.
People with learning disabilities are more likely to have long term health conditions and many rely on the care provided by learning disability nurses.
RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter said: “The NHS has a duty to treat everyone as equals and provide the care we all require. However, when it comes to people with learning disabilities, today’s survey clearly shows that this is just not happening. Our worry now is that in this tough economic climate, the NHS could end up forgetting people with learning disabilities.
“The expert continuing care provided by these specialist nurses greatly improves the quality of life for people with learning disabilities and their families. However, over the past 15 years we have seen real underinvestment in learning disability care and this trend must be reversed as a matter of urgency.”
The RCN is calling for investment in learning disability services including an acute learning disability nurse in every hospital and a guarantee that one-to-one specialist learning disability nursing be given to all those who need it.
The RCN is asking people to pledge their support for learning disabilities at www.rcn.org.uk/learningdisabilities
Further information
The RCN survey ran in April 2012. The survey found:
- the availability of various services is inconsistent, with over half (56 per cent) reporting that in the past year they have seen a decrease in the range of services offered
- 57.5 per cent of respondents said the area in which they worked offered a patient passport – a document which puts the patient at the centre of their care and informs health care staff about an individual’s preferences and how best to treat them
- personal care packages or person-centred plans are only being carried out in around three quarters of areas (75.2 per cent and 78 per cent respectively)
- 59 per cent of nurses said their area provided health education.
In 2010, RCN members voted 92 per cent in favour of the resolution “That this meeting of RCN Congress asks Council to lobby for a learning disability liaison nurse in all hospitals”. Read more in RCN Congress 2010 (www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/congress/2010)
Nearly 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability, according to Mencap (www.mencap.org.uk)