LeDeR Annual Report 2021 published

The LeDeR Report 2021 

The LeDeR programme, funded by NHS England and NHS Improvement, was established in 2017. 

The LeDeR annual reports summarise the lives and deaths of people with a learning disability and autistic people who died in England. 

The 2021 reports were made by researchers at King’s College London with academic partners at the University of Central Lancashire and Kingston University London.

Some of the main findings include:

Covid-19 was the most common cause of death for people with a learning disability in 2021

Over 50% of people with a learning disability died in areas rated as the most deprived in England

People from minority ethnic backgrounds had lower average ages of death

Epilepsy was the most common long-term health condition associated with an earlier age at death

People with a learning disability were 27% more likely to die of an avoidable cause of death in 2021

The highest rates of avoidable mortality were in the North West (54%), while the lowest were in the South West (42%)

During 2021 the rate of excess deaths was more than two times higher for people with a learning disability compared to the general population

6/10 people with a learning disability die before they are 65 years old

You can download the 2021 report, the easy read version and videos here