A coalition of leading charities, campaigners and health organisations, spearheaded by the learning disability charity Mencap, has today written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, warning of an imminent collapse in learning disability (LD) nursing that threatens the lives of thousands of people with a learning disability.
The joint letter – with signatories including Baroness Rosa Monckton MBE, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, Professor Nicola Ranger, and campaigner Paula McGowan OBE – highlights shocking figures:
- A 43% decline in LD nurse numbers since 2009
- Whole regions left without training courses as universities close programmes
- Predicted collapse of the profession by 2028 if urgent action isn’t taken
- People with a learning disability already face stark health inequalities, dying on average 20 years earlier than the general population and being twice as likely to die avoidably
- LD nurses play a critical role in preventing these deaths, yet the workforce is shrinking at an alarming rate.
The letter calls on the Government to:
- Recommit to and fund training targets promised in the NHS Workforce Plan
- Launch national recruitment campaigns to attract new LD nurses
- Guarantee financial support for students and employers to sustain training and apprenticeships
- Set minimum staffing levels to ensure safe care and protect lives.
Jon Sparkes OBE, chief executive of learning disability charity Mencap, said:
“Learning disability nurses save lives. Without urgent intervention, this profession will disappear, leaving people with a learning disability at even greater risk.
“Health bosses must act now – recommit to the workforce plan, fund training, and stop this crisis before it’s too late.”
The coalition is calling for an urgent meeting with Ministers to agree a rescue plan for the profession and safeguard the health and lives of people with a learning disability.
