Health & wellbeing · England
Fair health care for everyone
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News about health and care in England.
This is a short summary of an article from Learning Disability Today.
The Care Quality Commission checks health and care services in England.
Its short name is CQC.
It has written a report about care.
Some services are getting better.
But people with learning disabilities still face unfair barriers to care.
Autistic people face barriers too.
Some people have a worse experience at their GP practice.
A GP is a doctor who helps with everyday health.
Staff need the right training.
They need to understand each person’s needs.
Some people stay in mental health hospitals too long.
They need better plans and support to leave hospital.
Some people are kept apart from other patients for a long time.
This is called long-term segregation.
CQC is worried about this.
You can ask for changes to help you get care.
You might need more time or information with pictures.
Staff should help you work out what would help.
Ask your GP practice about a health check each year.
This is for people aged 14 or over on its learning disability register.
This is the GP practice’s list of people with a learning disability.
The check is free.
What you can do next
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Read the original news article Web pageThis link opens another website.
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More useful links
- NHS: health checks each year Web page
Who can have a check and how to ask for one.
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They may use harder words.
Fair health care for everyone: what the CQC found
An Easy Read summary of news about unequal health and care for people with learning disabilities.
Health and care news · England · Article published 23 October 2026 · Clearer summary added 1 November 2026
About this news
Learning Disability Today reported on the CQC’s State of Care 2025/26 report on 23 October 2026. This is Clearer’s own summary, not an official CQC Easy Read publication.
GP experiences
The report cites the 2026 GP Patient Survey: 70% of respondents with a learning disability reported a good overall GP experience, compared with 77% of all respondents. For autistic respondents, the figure was 67%. These are survey results, not a measure of every person’s care.
Hospital care and restrictions
CQC found gaps in staff skills and failures to involve people in decisions. Poor planning and services not working together delayed some people’s moves from mental health hospitals into community care. Leaving long-term segregation does not necessarily mean leaving hospital.
A health check each year
People aged 14 or over on their GP’s learning disability register can have a free annual health check. Ask your practice if you are on the register. If it does not offer checks, ask your community learning disability team for help.
Support that works for you
Ask about information in a format you understand, extra appointment time or support with waiting. Staff should help identify and record the changes you need. The related guides explain adjustments, advocacy and raising concerns.
Words you could use
“Please help me explain what I need to get good care.”
More useful links
- NHS: health checks each year Web page
Who can have a check and how to ask for one.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 1 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- Learning Disability Today: unequal health and care Web page
Alison Bloomer, 23 October 2026. The news article summarised here.
- CQC: State of Care 2025/26 (PDF) PDF
Original report: printed pages 43–44 on GP care, 72 on discharge delays, and 106–108 on segregation.
- NHS: annual health checks Web page
Eligibility, appointments and changes to help you get care.