Blaydon MP Liz Twist has attacked the Government over a "failure" to properly communicate with disabled people during the pandemic - and urged ministers to ensure that in the future public health information is reaching those with disabilities.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Twist specifically questioned whether ministers would now do more to improve communications - especially to reach those with learning disabilities. Throughout the pandemic, research showed how people with disabilities were both more likely to die due to Covid and more likely to report the lockdowns having had a significant and detrimental impact on their lives.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that between January and November 2020, people with disabilities accounted for 6 out of every 10 deaths (59.5%) involving Covid-19. The Health Foundation also found that disabled people were more likely to see vital medical treatment disrupted by Covid.
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In Whitehall last week, Ms Twist said asked the Government for "an assessment of the adequacy of Government communications during the Covid-19 pandemic", especially those in regard to people with learning disabilities.
She added: "Many people with disabilities would disagree with the Minister’s assessment of the communications and feel that, throughout the pandemic, the Government often failed to provide specific communications to disabled people about their rights and access to support.
"What steps is [the minister] taking to ensure that public health announcements, public health information and daily briefings are accessible to and are reaching people with disabilities, particularly those with a learning disability?"
Alex Burghardt, a junior minister in the Cabinet Office, replied, saying the Government "took their responsibilities to people with disabilities extremely seriously" during the Covid-19 pandemic. He added: "We all remember the daily press conferences, which almost always had signers present, but that was just one element of a much broader communications strategy that ensured guidance and information were provided in easy-read, large text, audio and many other formats.
"On her broader point, she will know that the NHS and publicly funded social care in this country have a duty, under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, to ensure that patients and people in care receive information in formats appropriate for them. I know the NHS takes that responsibility extremely seriously."
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