A coalition of leading health and disability organisations has warned that learning disability nursing in England is on the brink of collapse, risking more preventable deaths among people with learning disabilities. In a joint letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, groups including the Royal College of Nursing, Mencap, the Down’s Syndrome Association, and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation urged the Government to urgently recommit to the training and recruitment targets outlined in the NHS Workforce Plan.
The organisations called for renewed investment in training, financial support for students, and funding for employers to cover the cost of apprenticeships and staff backfill. They warned that without action, the profession faces an unsustainable future. The number of learning disability nurses has already fallen by 43% since 2009, with projections showing only a handful likely to qualify in England by 2028. Course closures at universities such as Winchester and Keele have left some regions with no training provision at all.
Campaigners pointed to the latest Learning from Lives and Deaths Review (LeDeR), which found that people with learning disabilities die nearly 20 years earlier than average and are twice as likely to experience preventable deaths.
Mencap’s chief executive Jon Sparkes OBE said the situation was critical, warning that without urgent intervention “this profession will disappear,” and calling for an emergency meeting with ministers to agree a rescue plan.
