Allerton & Emerson (2012) analysed larger-scale data to investigate the access to good quality healthcare for British adults with chronic health condition or impairment. 309 people in the sample had a learning disability. The research found:
40% of people with a learning disability using health services, compared to 18% of people with no chronic health condition or impairment.
12% of people with a learning disability reported a lot of difficulty using health care services, compared to just 3% of people with no chronic health condition or impairment.
On average, the life expectancy of women with a learning disability is 27 years shorter than for women in the general population; and the life expectancy of men with a learning disability is 23 years shorter than for men in the general population. (LeDer Annual Report 2019)
