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Learning Disability

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to respond to the Health Service Ombudsman's Six Lives report. [268139]

Phil Hope: In 2007, following Mencap’s report on the six deaths of people with learning disabilities, the former Secretary of State for Health commissioned Sir Jonathan Michael to carry out an Independent Inquiry into access to healthcare for people with learning disabilities. The report of that Inquiry—“Healthcare for All”—made 10 recommendations for improving access to healthcare
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for people with learning disabilities. A copy has already been placed in the Library. “Valuing People Now: a new three-year strategy for people with learning disabilities”, which was published in January 2009, set out the Government's response to the Independent Inquiry's report and our acceptance of all 10 recommendations. A copy of the strategy has been placed in the Library.

We are saddened at the Ombudsman's report and the cases of all the people who died, particularly when up to two of the deaths could have been prevented. We welcome this report and accept its recommendations.

Access to high quality healthcare is a right, and is essential in enabling people to lead healthy, active and fulfilling lives. The Government are committed to supporting and protecting the human rights of people with learning disabilities. All people with a learning disability are people first, with the right to lead their lives like any others, with the same opportunities and responsibilities and to be treated with dignity and respect.

The action set out in “Valuing People Now”, including a commitment to establishing a confidential inquiry to investigate premature deaths of people with learning disabilities, and the support we are providing at a local and regional level to improve training and awareness amongst health care staff will help people with learning disabilities to get access to the care they need. We have already introduced annual health checks for people with learning disabilities and on 12 March, we launched guidance for primary care staff to support individualised health plans for people with learning disabilities.

Malnutrition: Death

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths from malnutrition have occurred in (a) private care homes, (b) public care homes and (c) hospitals in each Government Office region since 1997. [267475]

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from malnutrition have occurred in (a) private care homes, (b) public care homes and (c) hospitals in each Government Office Region since 1997. (267475)

The attached table provides the numbers of deaths in (a) private care homes, (b) public care homes and (c) hospitals in each government office region in England, for the years 1997 to 2007 (the latest year available).

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Table 1. Deaths from malnutrition and effects of hunger,( 1) private and public care homes and hospitals,( 2) Government office regions in England,( 3) 1997-2007( 4)
Deaths (persons)
Government office region	Place of death	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
North East	Private care home	6	0	3	4	1	2	2	2	3	0	1
	Public care home	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Hospitals	16	13	15	17	19	21	21	9	12	26	16
North West	Private care home	4	2	3	8	1	3	5	4	2	1	3
	Public care home	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Hospitals	27	32	24	19	23	29	23	31	28	24	35
Yorkshire and The Humber	Private care home	5	6	4	1	2	1	2	1	0	2	4
	Public care home	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
	Hospitals	24	15	20	22	17	18	26	16	14	20	21
East Midlands	Private care home	3	10	10	8	2	0	3	3	2	1	1
	Public care home	0	3	0	4	0	5	3	1	4	2	1
	Hospitals	10	15	15	17	12	14	15	15	21	23	22
West Midlands	Private care home	8	1	4	2	4	0	0	0	0	3	0
	Public care home	1	1	2	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	0
	Hospitals	42	26	38	38	19	46	35	39	25	31	41
East of England	Private care home	0	6	3	5	2	2	0	2	4	2	5
	Public care home	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Hospitals	19	18	27	18	25	27	16	19	30	22	18
London	Private care home	2	1	5	1	2	0	2	1	2	2	1
	Public care home	0	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Hospitals	22	27	27	23	18	21	19	14	11	17	24
South East	Private care home	6	6	1	5	2	0	1	6	2	6	2
	Public care home	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0
	Hospitals	30	23	35	29	22	34	27	30	33	44	41
South West	Private care home	7	9	3	11	6	3	4	1	3	1	2
	Public care home	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	1
	Hospitals	19	23	23	31	14	20	16	26	21	32	24
(1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 260-269 (malnutrition) and E904.1 (effects of hunger) for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 (malnutrition) and T73.0 (effects of hunger) for 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where one of these causes was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from each cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2 )‘Private care home’ includes non-NHS private nursing homes and private residential homes. ‘Public care home’ includes NHS private nursing homes and local authority residential homes. ‘Hospital’ includes NHS and non-NHS hospitals or multifunction sites, and military hospitals. (3) Figures exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

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