The government is to publish its response to the Confidential Inquiry into Premature Deaths of People with Learning Disabilities (CIPOLD) on Friday [12 July], Care Services Minister Norman Lamb has confirmed.
Speaking at the Capita Learning Disabilities Conference on July 10, Lamb said that people with learning disabilities still face inequalities in healthcare at that there is a national imperative to change things.
The CIPOLD, published in March, found that people with learning disabilities die 16 years sooner on average than the general population and more than a third of these deaths are down to people not getting the right healthcare.
At the time, learning disability charity Mencap claimed that this equates to more than 1,200 children and adults with a learning disability dying prematurely every year.
The inquiry found that some of the most common reasons for the disparity in mortality are delays or problems with investigating, diagnosing and treating illnesses in people with learning disabilities.
Lamb also said that the government will also publish a progress report on reforming institutional care for people with learning disabilities later in the summer.
