Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing local need and commissioning services to best meet the needs of their local population, including determining how services are delivered locally to reduce the health inequalities. Therefore, staffing models may differ between areas to reflect local needs and existing provision. All staff within health and social care must have learning disability and autism training specific to their role as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, which means that staff who see patients should be better able to meet the needs of people who have a learning disability.

We are committed to ensuring that, under the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers are able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. The Information Standard is mandated across all publicly funded health and social care providers, commissioners, and IT suppliers. Should issues of non-compliance arise, commissioners of health and publicly funded social care services will be able to enact contractual sanctions at their discretion.

The Government continues to recognise the value of involving patients and family carers in decisions about the care of people with a learning disability. The Health and Care Act 2022 sets duties for involving carers in healthcare. Acute trusts are responsible for determining how best to involve family carers in the delivery of care, taking account of the needs of their patients and local circumstances. There are currently no plans to establish independent or statutory audits to monitor whether acute trusts are consistently involving family carers from admission to discharge. The Friends and Family Test is an important feedback tool that supports the fundamental principle that people who use National Health Services should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experience.

NHS England has previously published guidance to support primary care to identify people with a learning disability, titled Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice. This information can be shared with other health providers if a patient gives their permission. The Summary Care Record is a national database that holds electronic records of important patient information such as current medication, allergies, and details of any previous bad reactions to medicines, created from general practice medical records. It can be seen and used by authorised staff involved in the patient's direct care, including in other organisations such as an acute trust, with the patient’s consent. We expect acute hospitals to have appropriate arrangements in place to record learning disability information, including through the use of SNOMED codes, which are mandated for use across the NHS including in acute trusts.

We welcome the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death’s Learning Together, A review of the quality of care provided to adults with a learning disability when admitted to hospital acutely unwell report and we are committed to improving the health outcomes of people with a learning disability.

The Government’s approach, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, is to ensure a clear national framework for the National Health Service while empowering local systems to design and deliver services that best meet the needs of their populations. Within this approach, integrated care boards act as strategic commissioners to ensure care better meets patients’ needs at a local level. Decisions about the design of services are matters for independent NHS employing organisations, who manage service delivery at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care, based on population need. This includes investing in the future of their workforce and ensuring appropriate ongoing training and continuing professional development so that they can continue to provide safe and effective care.

We recognise the value of involving patients and family carers in decisions about the care of people with a learning disability. The NHS England website has information to support services, including acute trusts, with involving family carers of people with a learning disability and autistic people.

There are currently no plans to establish senior learning disability consultant roles based on the model in the Netherlands. NHS England published guidance in 2023, updated in 2025, to support frontline staff in acute hospitals caring for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

Under the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard 2025, all publicly funded health and social care service providers must be able to share, read, and write reasonable adjustment data by 30 September 2026. The Information Standard is mandated across all publicly funded health and social care providers, commissioners, and IT suppliers. As a mandatory information standard, compliance is supported through contractual and regulatory mechanisms.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Mental Health Act 1983 and their respective statutory codes of practice lay out the guidance for National Health Service trusts regarding Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) and Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA), including verification through the Office of Public Guardian (OPG).

The OPG provides online guidance on the verification of an LPA and EPA on the GOV.UK website, which is available to NHS trusts. This includes the online “Use and View an LPA” service for LPAs registered on or after 1 January 2016. This service allows attorneys to provide a digital access code through which organisations, including NHS trusts, can digitally verify that the LPA is registered, and view details of the attorneys authorised to act. The OPG guidance also provides that if the LPA cannot be shared via the “Use and View an LPA” service, an attorney may present an office or certified paper copy to the institution, to use the LPA.

NHS trusts are also bound by the Equality Act 2010 to make relevant reasonable adjustments where appropriate which would cover attorneys acting under an LPA.

The Department does not hold information on individual LPA or EPA verification outcomes in NHS trusts.

As announced on 20 May 2026, the Government is testing reform of the fit note through pilots in four ICB areas in England.

The pilots will support more effective conversations on workplace adjustments by replacing the traditional fit note with a voluntary service in which Community Work and Health Teams will work with individuals to develop personalised workability plans. These plans will set out work capacity, recommended workplace adjustments and any additional support needed to help people remain in or return to work sustainably. Employers will be encouraged to engage in the process, including through direct dialogue with the individual and their case coordinator where appropriate, helping to ensure that any adjustments are reasonable, proportionate and practical. Employers will retain responsibility for all employment decisions, and the service will not replace existing occupational health provision or override workplace policies.

Officials are working with a wide range of employer groups, including representatives for small and medium-sized employers such as the Federation of Small Businesses to shape design and delivery of the pilots. Evidence gathered through the pilots, including qualitative research, will capture the experiences and views of a range of stakeholders, including small and medium‑sized employers, to assess the viability and deliverability of the models being tested.

This Government will provide a response to this consultation in due course.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone can access and use financial services.

Financial services providers are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services. UK banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all customers. This includes ensuring that services are designed and delivered in a way that meets the needs of customers, including those who may face barriers using particular channels or technologies.

Firms are expected to consider how they provide services to customers who are unable to use specific processes, such as biometric or digital identity verification, and to ensure that appropriate alternative approaches are available where needed.

Firms are expected to meet their existing legal and regulatory obligations. The Government has no plans to mandate that financial services providers accept specific forms of identity documents, or to issue additional guidance to regulators on firms’ obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

The Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy sets out actions to improve access to financial services, including work with industry through an Inclusive Design Working Group to address potential barriers faced by consumers. The process to submit issues for this group to consider and prioritise closed at the end of April. The next window for submissions will open in early 2027.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

While Universal Credit is delivered as a digital first service, the Department recognises some customers need support to access or manage services online. Universal Credit is designed and built in line with accessibility standards and is regularly tested with users who have a range of access needs, including learning disabilities. Features such as step-by-step journeys, plain English and clear prompts are built-in to support understanding and reduce cognitive load.

Where customers have health conditions or learning disabilities, support is provided operationally through tailored help and reasonable adjustments. Any agreed adjustments are recorded on the customer’s account and reviewed regularly, ensuring support can be delivered consistently throughout the Universal Credit journey. These include telephone and face-to-face support, postal correspondence, home visits and support from an appointee or representative to act on the customer’s behalf if appropriate. The Department also offers the Help to Claim service, delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland and provides enhanced support for vulnerable customers, including some moving from ESA.

In addition, regarding session time‑outs, there is a feature to give users the opportunity to extend the time for them to complete that stage. When making a claim there are many points where the data is autosaved, meaning that when a customer is timed out their information is mainly saved. Where session length or digital interaction presents a barrier, customers can be supported through assisted digital routes or non‑digital channels, tailored to their individual needs.

There is continued focus on accessibility and support, allowing customers to transact via a variety of channels according to their needs, including offering non‑digital routes, reasonable adjustments and tailored help for customers who may struggle with the claims process.