‘Urgent’ reviews launched by NHSE as learning disability death rates double

HSJ reports that NHS England and NHS Improvement have ordered urgent reviews into the deaths of people with a learning disability and autism during the pandemic.

In early June, the Care Quality Commission published data which suggested death rates of people with learning disabilities and/or autism had doubled during the pandemic. HSJ reports that it has seen messages on a private facebook group and an announcement posted on a social media group for Royal College of Nursing members last week, which said that the NHSE/I is “urgently seeking clinical reviewers with experience in learning disability”.

According to the announcement the reviews will be linked to the national learning disability mortality review programme. The programme does not cover the deaths of people with autism alone nor will the urgent reviews.

Full story in The HSJ, 1 July 2020