Urgent Need to Boost Cancer Care for People with Learning Disabilities

According to a new report, there is an urgent need to improve cancer detection and care for people with learning disabilities. The lead author, Dr. Oliver Kennedy from The University of Manchester and The Christie, explains that while we already know this population faces poorer health outcomes, the burden of cancer remains poorly understood.

Principal Investigator Prof. Darren Ashcroft adds that people with learning disabilities "frequently encounter barriers to healthcare access, such as communication difficulties and diagnostic overshadowing." This means clinicians may attribute new symptoms to an existing diagnosis, leading to late cancer diagnoses.

Annabell Downey, who has terminal cancer and is supported by the charity Mencap, shared her struggle to convey her symptoms to her doctor before finally receiving a diagnosis. Jon Sparkes, Mencap's chief executive, says the NHS "must do better" as late diagnoses and lack of urgent referrals are costing people with learning disabilities years of life.

The Department for Health and Social Care acknowledges more work is needed, but says they are taking steps to improve cancer care, including through the life-saving "Jess's Rule" initiative to help GPs catch serious conditions earlier.