Healthcare for men and women with learning disabilities (know internationally as Intellectual disabilities) has risen up the political agenda in the UK, propelled there by a report from the charity 'Mencap', Death by Indifference. This has resulted in a renewed effort, set out in the policy document for England 'Valuing People Now', to ensure that people with learning disabilities receive the healthcare and support they need to live healthy lives. This paper, drawing upon experience in England, describes the challenges of providing healthcare to men and women with learning disabilities; reviews Death by Indifference and the reports produced in its aftermath, Healthcare for All and Six Lives; presents findings from a small-scale study of access to healthcare undertaken in the East of England; and concludes with a discussion of whether the recommendations made in Healthcare for All, and accepted in Valuing People Now, will improve healthcare for men and women with learning disabilities.
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