Government scraps essential health check targets for people with learning disabilities

The decision to scrap the 75% target for GP-led annual health checks is expected to have severe consequences for one of the most vulnerable populations in the UK.

Annual health checks are a vital tool in tackling the profound health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities. Currently, individuals with a learning disability die on average 20 years earlier than the wider population, with nearly half of these deaths being deemed avoidable (Source: King’s College London, 2022 LeDeR Report). Annual health checks play a crucial role in early detection and prevention, helping to reduce emergency hospital admissions and improve overall health outcomes.

For example, cancer is more often diagnosed at a late or emergency stage in people with a learning disability than in the wider population. Over the past five years there has consistently been a 15 percentage point difference in breast cancer screening rates and 36 percentage point difference in cervical cancer screening rates between people with a learning disability and the general population (Nuffield Trust, 2024). An annual health check ensures that any early symptoms or risk factors are identified and acted upon.

NHS England has previously acknowledged the importance of these checks, stating: “People with a learning disability often have poorer physical and mental health than other people. An annual health check can improve people’s health by spotting problems earlier.” (NHS England)

Dave Swindlehurst, CEO of Sheffield Mencap, highlights the potential consequences of this policy change: “Over the last three years, we have worked closely with GPs across the city to increase the rate of annual health checks above the 75% national target. Without NHS England mandating this essential work, these rates will inevitably decline, leaving people with learning disabilities at an even greater disadvantage.”

In 2022 alone, 42% of deaths of people with a learning disability were classified as avoidable—almost double the rate in the wider population. Sheffield Mencap and Gateway believes that scrapping the annual health check target removes a key accountability mechanism, making it less likely that overstretched GP practices will prioritise these crucial health checks. They urge policymakers to recognise the life-saving impact of these checks and to act swiftly before further avoidable deaths occur.

The charity is now calling on the Government and Health Minister Wes Streeting MP to reinstate the target to safeguard the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities, and urge people to write to their local MP to support this campaign.