Learning from Lives and Deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR) report

The LeDeR programme was established in 2017 to improve health care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. This report analysed the deaths of 3,556 people in 2023 and found that the percentage of avoidable deaths – where death occurs in someone under the age of 75 to a condition deemed preventable, treatable, or both – has fallen from 46% in 2021 to 39% in 2023. However, the rate is almost double that of avoidable deaths in the general population. The analysis also found that 37% of cases reported some form of delay in care or treatment, while 28% reported instances where diagnosis and treatment guidelines were not met.