Do all deaths count equally? I've been trying to get clarification today after @NHSEngland medical director Steve Powis said: 'I can commit that from next week we'll be publishing data on learning disabilities; autism, and mental health patients who have died in acute hospitals.'
2/ My understanding from the NHS is that it will publish data that has been verified on the deaths of anyone with a learning disability, autism or mental ill health who has died, with confirmed Covid-19, in any NHS setting.
3/ But hold on: they still seem to be working out details so could not, for instance, say if this would include people funded by the NHS in private hospitals and units. Clearly only just begun focusing on this issue. Bottom of priorities again, for all the waffle.
4/ Those dying in NHS settings will exclude significant numbers of people with learning disabilities and autism - many of whom rely on care, whether in care homes, supported living or at home, and many of whom are at risk in this pandemic either for medical or social reasons
5/ Public Health England has been given access to Bristol University's mortality data to assess impact of C-19 but can't say when the NHS will share info publicly. It is, they admit, just 'the first step in analysing the impact of COVID-19 on people with learning disabilities'.
6/ Yet they also accept that people with learning disabilities are more likely to have health problems than the general population and die younger on average so it is crucial we understand how COVID-19 is affecting people with these disabilities.
7/ So what about the CQC? They're 'looking at the most useful ways of extracting & analysing data, both moving forward and retrospectively, to include data relating to deaths of people with a learning disability who have sadly died due to COVID-19. This data will be made public.'
8/ It is very clear the NHS was protected at expense of a second-class social care sector with deadly consequences. Until mid-March, incredibly, the official advice stated: 'It remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected.'
9/ The conclusion of all this? The government has not considered this issue and been prodded into starting to log deaths of some people with autism & learning disabilities.
10/ They already publish info on deaths of people by age, ethnicity, gender & geographical location among other categories in this pandemic. So why not people with autism and learning disabilities? Because they are, in the minds of the authorities, second-class citizens.
11/ They are denied education. Frozen from the workplace. Starved of essential support. Hundreds are held without basic human rights in abusive & sedated detention, where they are at greater risk of catching this disease. Now they do not even get society's respect in death
PS: Big thanks to @sarasiobhan @RightfulLives @GeorgeJulian @MarkNeary18 @chrishattoncedr @TwittleyJules @ShaunLintern @SteveBroach @HarrietHarman @leicesterliz @Rebeccasmt @Markliamb
& others for pushing this issue. Please keep fighting.
& others for pushing this issue. Please keep fighting.
PPS: I tried to raise these issues at today's Downing Street briefing. Unfortunately I was barred from doing so. Again
