People with intellectual disabilities: People registered disabled with learning difficulties tend to fall through the net

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7471.917-a

BMJ 2004;329:917 (16 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7471.917-a

Letter

People with intellectual disabilities

People registered disabled with learning difficulties tend to fall through the net

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Few of the findings, recommendations, and servicesbeing developed for people with learning disabilities, as discussedby Cooper et al,¹ are being applied to people who are registereddisabled with learning difficulties. This group seems to fallthrough the net in today's NHS; there is little to help them,even when progress has been made for intellectually disabledpeople in general.

Many adults with learning difficulties have common health problemsthat have not been addressed.^2
3 In many cases neither learningdisability services nor mental health services, including thevoluntary sector, consider this group of patients to be appropriatefor referral, assessment, or treatment. Few agencies deal specificallywith learning difficulties. My discussions with adults withlearning difficulties indicate that they are at a loss aboutwhere to turn for help or advice as any existing support groupsare inevitably small, fragmented, and uninfluential in professionalcircles.

General practitioners . . . [Full text of this article]

Kiersten L Cornwell, primary care development manager

RCT Local Health Board, Treforest Industrial Estate, Pontypridd CF37 5YR kiersten.cornwell@rhonddacynontafflhb.wales.nhs.uk