Overview

People with a learning disability are: less able to understand new information or learn new skills, less able to cope independently than those without learning disability, and this started before age 18. Approximately 2% of the population are thought to have a learning disability, but this is only documented for 0.4% of the general population. On average, people with a learning disability die 20 years younger than the general population, are much more likely to have many co-occuring conditions, and are on many more medications. While there may be specialist learning disability teams involved in a person's care, as GPs we all see patients with a learning disability and have the opportunity to improve the care we provide and so improve the lives of our patients.

NHS UK: overview on learning disabilities

Office for Health Improvement & Disparities: learning disability - applying All Our Health

Mencab: how common is learning disability in the UK?

Learning Disability Service Leeds: learning disability register inclusion tool

A learning disability results from something which affects the development of the brain either before or during birth or early childhood.
Possible causes include an inherited problem such as Fragile X, chromosomal abnormalities such as Down Syndrome or Turner’s, infections, drugs or alcohol during pregnancy, a premature birth, problems during delivery or illness during early childhood such as meningitis. Often the causes are not known.

People with a learning disability are more likely to be neurodivergent than the general population, and are less likely to have this recognised or have a diagnosis. 

RCGP: curriculum page on neurodevelopmental conditions and neurodiversity

Under the Equality Act 2010, public sector organisations must make changes in their approach or provision to ensure that services are accessible to disabled people as well as everyone else.

NHS England: reasonable adjustments.

BMA: guidance on mental capacity in England and Wales

GMC: guidance on mental capacity

BMA ethics toolkit - adults with incapacity Scotland

Department of Health Northern Ireland: mental capacity act

Annual health checks are offered to all people with a learning disability aged 14 years or older. More detailed information on them can be found later in this toolkit. 

NHS England: annual health checks

Once for Scotland: annual health checks

Southern Health and Social Care Trust: health facilitation team