*A free lunch will be included for staff who support people with a learning disability*

Limited tickets available on a first come first serve basis! Book Now!

NHS Devon LeDeR team invite you to attend the addressing health inequalities event being held at Buckfast Abbey on 16th March 2022 from 12:45 - 16:30. There will be speakers and presentations covering topics identified by LeDeR as needing service improvement with a focus on improving care and experience for people living with a learning disability, autism, or both, who use our services.

The event is being held as a result of the work going on with LeDeR in Devon. LeDeR is a service improvement programme to ensure that local services can learn and action changes to enable people with a learning disability in their area to live longer, healthier lives.

The afternoon will cover three topics:

• Constipation - Some people with a learning disability are more at risk of constipation than the general population. Constipation is one of the five most common long-term health conditions reported in completed LeDeR Mortality reviews (23%) and a third of these reviews mention the prescription of laxatives.

• Cancer - The 2020 LeDeR report identified neoplasm (an abnormal or excessive growth of tissue) as the cause of death of 10% males and 12% females with a learning disability; this compares with 31% and 27% in the general population respectively. Neoplasms may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Devon has been developing pathways to improve access to cancer services locally.

• Epilepsy - While around one in 100 of the general population has epilepsy nearly one in three people with a mild to moderate learning disability has epileptic seizures – and the more severe their learning disability, the more likely they are to have the condition. A recent study found that more than 33% of people with a learning disability did not have an epilepsy care plan and100% were unaware of the risk of sudden death due to epilepsy.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Jennie Newton (j.newton1@nhs.net) or Katy Welsh (katy.welsh@nhs.net)

We look forward to seeing you all at the event!