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Newly corrected data reveals that the number of avoidable deaths among people with learning disabilities and autism in England during 2023 was higher than first reported. An updated mortality review, commissioned by NHS England and published in 2025, adjusted the figure from 39% to 40% of deaths with known causes being avoidable. The original report, which was retracted in December due to a “technical issue,” has now been replaced with the corrected version, with NHS officials assuring that such errors “cannot happen again.”
The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR), established in 2015, regularly examines the circumstances surrounding deaths of those with learning disabilities and autism in England. It focuses on healthcare provision, causes of death, and whether better care could have prevented these outcomes. The review consistently highlights a stark reality: individuals with learning disabilities tend to die roughly 20 years younger than the general population. Many deaths are linked to missed diagnoses, delayed treatments, or medical conditions that could have been addressed earlier.
According to the revised findings led by researchers at King’s College London, 963 out of 2,397 adult deaths reviewed in 2023, which had known causes, were deemed avoidable. This 40% rate of avoidable mortality starkly contrasts with rates for the general population, being nearly double. The updated report identified circulatory diseases as the main cause of death at 17.6%, differing from the original, which noted respiratory conditions as most common. Among autistic adults without learning disabilities, there was a slight increase in deaths from suicide, accidental, or misadventure causes, rising from 29.1% to 31.5%.
Family members, campaigners, and advocacy groups have voiced renewed distress over these findings and the care failings they highlight. Amanda Cresswell, a member of Staying Alive and Well, a group of individuals with learning disabilities that helped craft an accessible version of the report, expressed feelings of fear and frustration about hospital experiences, particularly when medical staff use language she cannot comprehend. “It makes me feel so frustrated,” she said, describing occasions when she must request that people “slow down” and explain things in simpler terms. Regarding the corrected data, she added, “I just feel very upset and frustrated because the people that should be taking us seriously aren’t taking us seriously.”
Mencap, a leading learning disability charity, acknowledged that the initial report included around 200 incorrectly reported deaths, which deeply affected families. Jon Sparkes, Mencap’s chief executive, called the errors and delays in publication “deeply worrying” and “deeply upsetting for families impacted.” He emphasized that there is “no excuse” for failing to support people with learning disabilities in accessing essential healthcare such as cancer screening and timely diagnoses. Sparkes criticized the report for categorizing deaths from Down Syndrome as “unavoidable,” stating, “You simply cannot die from Down Syndrome. This hides the real reasons people died, such as missed screening, late diagnosis or failures in basic care.”
In response to the controversy, Dr Zubir Ahmed, parliamentary under-secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care, recognized the distress caused by the retraction, especially to bereaved families and others who depend on the LeDeR process. He reaffirmed that people with learning disabilities face profound health inequities, dying on average 19.5 years earlier than the general population and being almost twice as likely to die from preventable causes. Dr Ahmed assured that addressing these disparities continues to be a government priority, calling the current situation “unacceptable.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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