The Department recognises that people with learning disabilities or mental health problems have faced significant physical health inequalities. “Promoting Equality”, published in March 2007, set out the Department's action plan to tackle the inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities in accessing primary care.
Since its publication the Department has:
developed and published a framework to support primary care trusts (PCTs) in commissioning primary care services for people with learning disabilities, including annual health checks;
developed a preferred framework for health checks, which the valuing people support team will be promoting at regional events this autumn; and
published guidance on the commissioning of specialist learning disability health services.
The Department has worked with the Disability Rights Commission to take forward the actions outlined in “Promoting Equality” and will continue to work with the new Commission for Equalities and Human Rights.
Guidance on the commissioning of specialist learning disability health services was published in October 2007 by the Department. To support the dissemination of the guidance and address the issues raised by the Healthcare Commission audit, the valuing people support team within the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), in conjunction with the Healthcare Commission, have planned three events across the country.
The events will be held in February and March and are aimed primarily at commissioners and providers. The events will cover the roll-out of the guidance and how it can be used to help respond to the issues raised by the audit. The events are intended to provide commissioners and providers with the necessary information to address any concerns in their locality.
The North West strategic health authority reports that Wirral PCT has recently published a five-year strategy identifying services for people with learning disabilities as a priority. An additional £0.5 million will be invested over the period of the strategy. Since 1999, the Wirral PCT and the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have invested in the refurbishment and new build of two assessment and treatment units, with one further new unit scheduled to be completed in November 2009.
A number of initiatives are under way; for example, close working between inpatient units and specialist community services and primary care services to ensure a seamless service for people with learning disabilities.
Local services are benchmarked against the Healthcare Commission recommendations following inquiries into services at the Cornwall Partnership NHS trust and Sutton and Merton PCT. An action plan is being implemented to ensure high quality services for people with learning disabilities.