Why is there such a disparity between the health of people with learning disability and the rest of the population? The disability rights commission’s investigation into health inequalities aims to find some answers, as Joanna Owen reports

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has just launched an 18-month formal investigation (FI) to look into physical health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities and people with long-term mental health problems in England and Wales. The process of inquiry, which runs from December 2004 to May 2006, has been designed to understand barriers, identify good practice and spread evidence based on workable solutions. The evidence-collecting techniques comprise consultation questionnaires, focus groups, indepth area studies, analyses of GP databases and statistics and a formal inquiry panel.