Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme Annual Report 2018

The third annual report of the English Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme has just been published. It presents information about the deaths of people with learning disabilities aged 4 years and over notified to the programme from 1st July 2016 – 31st December 2018. A particular focus is on deaths for which a review was completed during the last calendar year (1st January – 31st December 2018).

You can view and download the report here:

Some of the findings include:

• The LeDeR programme has been told about 4,302 people with learning disabilities who have died.

• The average age at death for people with learning disabilities who died was 59 years old.

• Women with learning disabilities are dying 27 years younger than the general population.

• 62% of people with learning disabilities died in hospital. This is much higher than in the general population.

• People mostly died from: Pneumonia, Aspiration Pneumonia, Sepsis, Dementia, the heart not getting enough blood, and epilepsy.

• Only one third of reviews said that the person had received the best possible care.

• Only 48% of deaths reviewed in 2018 received care that met or was better than good practice.

• 71 adults with learning disabilities received care so bad that it made them unwell or caused their death.