Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

People with Learning Disabilities and Autism

Tuesday 19 October 2021 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government is trialling mandatory training to improve health and care staff awareness of learning disabilities and autism.
  • Trials for the mandatory training are underway with three trial providers, and a final evaluation report is due in spring 2022.
  • The Government has committed to meeting with families affected by events at Cawston Park to understand the issues and show concern.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
NHS
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of progress on improving health outcomes for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, noting the failure to recognise their needs adequately.

Question

What steps are being taken by the Government to improve health outcomes for people with learning disabilities and autism? Are there specific programmes or initiatives in place?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

I thank my hon. Friend for her work as the Minister for Care and particularly for starting the work on the Oliver McGowan mandatory training. We are currently trialling the training to improve awareness and understanding of learning disability and autism for all health and care staff. The improvement of health outcomes for people with learning disability was also championed by our dear friend Sir David Amess; I shall think of him every day in this role and try my very best to live up to his expectations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the importance but does not provide specific steps or initiatives.

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Q2 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
NHS
Context

The MP seeks information on the roll-out of mandatory training for health and care professionals to improve awareness of learning disability and autism, referencing Oliver McGowan's case. She also asks about the timeline for rolling out annual GP health checks.

Question

Will the Minister expand on the roll-out of the mandatory training for all health and care professionals working in learning disability and autism? When will it be rolled out nationwide and what funding is attached to it? What is the expected timeline for rolling out annual GP health checks for people with learning disabilities or autism?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

We have started the trials and they are well under way. We are using three trial providers. Our final evaluation report is due in spring 2022 and I would be very happy to share that with my hon. Friend. The outcomes of this trial and the evaluation will inform the plans for the roll-out across the country. On the annual health checks for people with learning disability, the NHS has already met its target two years ahead of time for 75% of people on the GP learning disability register to receive an annual health check.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the progress but does not provide specific roll-out timelines or funding details.

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Q3 Barbara Keeley Lab
NHS Social Care Safeguarding & DBS
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of response from the Government to a recent report on the treatment of autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities. She also mentions ongoing abuse in care units, specifically referencing deaths at Cawston Park.

Question

Why has the Government not responded to the Health and Social Care Committee's report on treating autistic people and those with learning disabilities? There is continued evidence of abuse; for example, three recent deaths at Cawston Park. What action will the Government take immediately?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

I share the hon. Lady's concerns; it simply is not good enough. The events at Cawston Park were unbelievable and deeply traumatic. My deepest condolences are with the families of Ben, Joanna and Jon. I have committed to meeting with the families at the earliest opportunity so that I can understand their experiences directly. This is currently being arranged by officials and the Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the issue but does not provide a specific response or timeline for addressing ongoing abuse in care units.

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Q4 Mark Harper Con
NHS
Context

The MP is concerned about the delay in publishing a delivery plan to reduce the number of people in assessment and treatment units like Winterbourne View. He asks when this plan will be published.

Question

When will the Government publish their delivery plan to reduce the number of individuals in in-patient units such as Winterbourne View? The previous Minister committed to publishing it four months ago but it is yet to materialise; what are the current plans?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

I look forward to working with my right hon. Friend. I have been along to the first board, although I have not yet chaired it. But we will be developing that action plan. I cannot commit to the date but I will let him know as soon as I can when we will publish the plan.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the need for a delivery plan but does not provide a specific timeline or commitment.

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Q5 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
NHS Children & Families
Context

The MP is concerned about the lack of specialised support for children with learning disabilities or autism, highlighting recent statistics showing one in 20 schoolchildren in Northern Ireland has an autism diagnosis.

Question

What steps have been taken to ensure that children with learning disabilities or autism receive guidance and specialised support during health appointments? Given recent statistics, is there a plan to address the needs of these children more effectively?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. He is right to identify this concern. Compared with the general population, people with learning disabilities are three times more likely to die from an avoidable medical cause of death. That is why these annual health checks to ensure that we get early diagnoses for these people are so important.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the importance but does not provide specific steps or measures taken.

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