Access to cancer screening by people with learning disabilities in England 2012/13: Information from the Joint Health and Social Care Assessment Framework. Issue 4 (23rd August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Glover, Gyles; Christie, Anna; Hatton, Chris
• Editors: McGill, Peter
• Is Part Of: Tizard learning disability review. Volume 19:Issue 4(2014)
• Publication Date: 2014-08-23
• Subjects: Learning disabilities -- Periodicals; Learning disabled -- Periodicals; Social service -- Periodicals; 362.2
• DOI: 10.1108/TLDR-07-2014-0024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-5474

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: To present information from the Joint Health and Social Care Self-Assessment Framework (JHSCSAF) on reported rates of cervical cancer, breast cancer and bowel cancer screening for eligible people with learning disabilities in England in 2012/13 compared to screening rates for the general population. Design/methodology/approach: Between 94 and 101 Learning Disability Partnership Boards, as part of the JHSCSAF, provided information to allow the calculation of rates of cervical cancer, breast cancer and bowel cancer screening in their locality, for eligible people with learning disabilities and for the population as a whole. Findings: At a national level, reported cancer screening coverage for eligible people with learning disabilities was substantially lower than for the population as a whole (cervical cancer screening 27.6% of people with learning disabilities vs 70% of total population; breast cancer screening 36.8% of people with learning disabilities vs 57.8% of total population; bowel cancer screening 28.1% of people with learning disabilities vs 40.5% of the general population). There were considerable geographical variations in reported coverage for all three screening programmes. Originality/value: Consistent with previous research, localities in England report cancer screening rates for eligible people with learning disabilities considerably below those of the general population. There is an urgent need to address data availability and quality issues, as well as reasonable adjustments to cancer screening programmes to ensure uniformly high rates of cancer screening for people with learning disabilities across England.