13th October 2021
about a 2 minute read
latest
Government urged to increase funding for learning disability technologies
A new report is urging the Government to increase and ring-fence funding to help kick start the development of learning disability related technologies, ahead of the Budget and Spending Review later this month.
Press release
13th October 2021
Government urged to increase funding for learning disability technologies
A new report is urging the Government to increase and ring-fence funding to help kick start the development of learning disability related technologies, ahead of the Budget and Spending Review later this month.
The Learning Disability Tech Landscape Review, released today by Future Care Capital (FCC), not only recommends a range of measures to enable higher quality care through the use of technology, but it also shows the need for more specific funding to support the growth of these technologies. This is demonstrated by the relatively small sector niche of companies developing technology solutions for those with a learning disability, when compared to other areas of healthcare, or other sectors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the health and care narrative since March 2020. It is abundantly clear that not all groups have experienced the pandemic in the same way. As more evidence has emerged, the statistics have painted a grim picture of the impact of COVID-19 on the learning disability community, where people with a learning disability are five times more likely to be admitted to hospital, and eight times more likely to die from COVID-19 than the national average.
While the pandemic provides an immediate context for the care sector, the Health and Care Bill is defining plans for the integration of health and care services, and a long-awaited plan for social care reform appears to have been replaced by a 1.25% national insurance levy to address elective procedure backlogs and help with a limited number of concerns for care provision. These plans have received criticisms for only addressing a small portion of the problems facing the sector and not taking a more comprehensive structural approach.
The Government has more recently announced plans for a comprehensive review of health and social care leadership, and the National Disability Strategy was published in July 2021, highlighting a key role for technology in this space. This report demonstrates that the currently level of funding is not adequate to achieve that ambition.
“As more of the population starts to return to what might be considered more normal, there is still a large part of the community that cannot. “There are several Bills, strategies and plans lined up to try and tackle the issues faced across social care, including some focused policy on learning disability. However, while it has been acknowledged that there is a role for new technologies, the funding and support currently on offer is not going to meet the specific needs of much of the sector. “There is also an important role for self-advocacy groups for advice on the design of user-centric technologies, whether they might actually be wanted or needed by those likely to use them. It is also important for clinicians to have a better understanding of the unique healthcare needs of individuals with a learning disability and to consider how technology could support care access and provision.” Dr Peter Bloomfield, FCC Head of Policy and Research
This report is the third in a series of four, covering home care, mental health, learning disabilities and residential care. These publications are all available to view and download at futurecarecapital.org.uk/research.
This third report will be discussed at greater length at the upcoming webinar – register for it now.
ENDS
