Learning Disability Mortality Review addressing premature deaths
Posted 05 October 2016 - 12:06
People with learning disabilities are three times more likely to die from treatable causes than the general population, said a lead nurse reviewing national mortality.
Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme national co-ordinator Robert Tunmore said his team are working hard to help reduce these premature deaths.
‘All families go through difficult times [during bereavement], and families of those with learning disabilities don’t get the same support, care and valuing of their experience as the rest of us would do,’ Mr Tunmore said.
Conduct reviews
The LeDeR programme is now working to support local areas to conduct reviews of deaths of all people with learning disabilities aged four to 74, he told nurses at the Learning Disability Practice conference in Manchester yesterday.
The first regional pilot sites are in the north of England and the rest of the country would roll out new review
People with learning disabilities are three times more likely to die from treatable causes than the general population, said a lead nurse reviewing national mortality.
Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme national co-ordinator Robert Tunmore said his team are working hard to help reduce these premature deaths.
‘All families go through difficult times [during bereavement], and families of those with learning disabilities don’t get the same support, care and valuing of their experience as the rest of us would do,’ Mr Tunmore said.
Conduct reviews
The LeDeR programme is now working to support local areas to conduct reviews of deaths of all people with learning disabilities aged four to 74, he told nurses at the Learning Disability Practice conference in Manchester yesterday.
The first regional pilot sites are in the north of England and the rest of the country would roll out new review processes between January and March 2017.
The programme, which began last year, will help promote and implement the new review process and provide support to local areas to take forward lessons learned in the reviews.
Collate information
It will also collate and share anonymised information about the deaths of those with learning disabilities so that common themes, learning points and recommendations can be identified and taken forward into policy and practice improvements.
‘It has been very challenging in terms of the legal set up, technology and infrastructure between organisations,’ Mr Tunmore said.
‘Communication is another big challenge – looking at how we engage with families of people with learning disabilities.’
Further information
Learn more about the programme