We Can’t Wait

Campaign: We Can’t Wait

Full details

We believe that people with a learning disability should never die before their time.

The 2019 Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) Report says men with a learning disability died 23 years earlier and women 27 years earlier than those without a learning disability.

This is for lots of reasons like:

1. People with a learning disability are more likely to have more than one health problem. 

2.  When a carer or health professional makes a mistake about why someone is ill. 

3. When people have to wait too long to see a doctor or nurse.

The covid-19 pandemic made the situation even worse. 

The Care Quality Commission has said that since June 2020, the death rate for people with a learning disability has more than doubled nationally.

‘We Can’t Wait’ is our campaign that will work to stop people with a learning disability from dying early. 

We are doing this by asking for people with a learning disability to be put higher up on NHS waiting lists.

Our Health Ambassadors and Champions want to stop delays in health appointments that can be a matter of life and death.

In order to do this, at the moment we are: 

1. Going to key social care and health meetings to talk to professionals about the “We Can’t Wait” campaign.

2. Meeting with other self-advocacy groups in our region to get their support and hear their experiences of waiting for healthcare.

3. Finding out more about projects in the South West of England where people with a learning disability are already being prioritised on waiting lists.

Join us in the fight to end the early deaths of people with a learning disability by sharing your stories with our Champions group.

And show your support by signing our Campaign Agreement.

Our Campaign Agreement

I agree that people with a learning disability should:

Be put higher on NHS waiting lists.

Live as long as everyone else.

Not die before their time.

Please sign the agreement below:

Communication Preferences

Thank you to the National Lottery for funding this project.

For more information, please contact James by calling 01865 204214 or by emailing james@mylifemychoice.org.uk

Don’t Lock us Away

 The Don’t Lock Us Away campaign was started to raise awareness of those with learning disabilities that are left or trapped in hospitals, where their needs are neglected besides the basics.

Our members felt that everyone with a learning disability should be able to live in their own home, or in places that are right for them,  close to the people that are important to them. They felt that they have the opportunity to have a good life and want to see the same for everyone with a learning disability.

Our Champions group started the Don’t lock us away campaign to raise awareness of this issue with the public and bring it before decision-makers and influencers to try to make a difference.

In the last three months of this project we have been able to work with several different groups to further the campaign.

Oxford Health who run the county’s mental health services helped us to

Share the information about the number of people that were locked away, and where they were.

Secure funding to produce a 10-step guide on how to help get these people released from hospital, so professionals, friend and relatives could take action.

We are also working with fellow self-advocacy groups Inclusion London, and Sunderland People First to set up and launch a national network to share stories and ideas about getting people out of hospital and home.

MLMC Champions are also supporting the National advocacy charity VoiceAbility with their plans to lobby the Minister of Health and Social Care about the ‘Building the Right Support’ report. An action plan to strengthen community support for people with a learning disability and autistic people, and reduce reliance on mental health inpatient care.

How can you help with the campaign?

  • Find out about how many people are stuck in hospital where you live and share it on social media and anywhere relevant, so others know about it.
  • Lobby your local mental health services to get people from your area out of hospital.
  • Ask your local MP to get the Minister for Health and Social Care to take action now.
  • Help us build a national network group of advocacy groups that want to get people home.
  • Speak out whenever you can about what is going on.

For more information on this campaign and how you might help, please get in touch with James Sheard, Inspections and Campaigns Coordinator: 01865 204214 or james@mylifemychoice.org.uk

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