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The Editorial by Flynn and Hollins, BMJ 2013:346:f18 emphasises the recommendations of the DH report on Winterbourne View, that people with intellectual disabilities should be relocated back into their own communities, and they should be registered with a local GP practice with regular monitoring of their health status, including reviewing medications. We would reiterate our view that health checks by GPs should form an important annual event in the lives of all people with intellectual disabilities. At present, in England, half of those entitled are not receiving health checks Opportunistic review for these patients, although useful, cannot substitute for a structured comprehensive check in protected time. From a medical point of view, the shortfall in uptake represents a wide health inequality gap. Narrowing this gap has cost, educational, and process implications for commissioners.
Dr Matthew Hoghton, General Practitioner
Dr Graham Martin, Retired General Practitioner
Dr Umesh Chauhan, General Practitioner
Re: Acting on the lessons of Winterbourne View Hospital
The Editorial by Flynn and Hollins, BMJ 2013:346:f18 emphasises the recommendations of the DH report on Winterbourne View, that people with intellectual disabilities should be relocated back into their own communities, and they should be registered with a local GP practice with regular monitoring of their health status, including reviewing medications. We would reiterate our view that health checks by GPs should form an important annual event in the lives of all people with intellectual disabilities. At present, in England, half of those entitled are not receiving health checks Opportunistic review for these patients, although useful, cannot substitute for a structured comprehensive check in protected time. From a medical point of view, the shortfall in uptake represents a wide health inequality gap. Narrowing this gap has cost, educational, and process implications for commissioners.
Dr Matthew Hoghton, General Practitioner
Dr Graham Martin, Retired General Practitioner
Dr Umesh Chauhan, General Practitioner
1 BMJ 2012;345:e7589
Competing interests: No competing interests