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Introduction
People with an intellectual disability (ID) have an increased likelihood to suffer from physical and mental health conditions than the general population yet face extensive health inequality and premature mortality. The diagnosis of intellectual disability itself renders those to whom the label is attached susceptible to a variety of inter-disciplinary systems and social responses (Foucault, 1972). Compared with the general population, people with intellectual disability encounter reduced access to preventative care, have significantly higher rates of undiagnosed disorders and suffer inappropriate treatment (Conway et al., 2019; Rimmer and Braddock, 2002; Iacono and Davis, 2003). Reports have shown that approximately half of all deaths of people with intellectual disability were preventable (Heslop et al., 2014; Mencap, 2007). These deaths are associated with dynamic or changeable factors (for example, health-care workers not providing care to people with intellectual disability in a manner than appropriately accounts for their health needs). These health inequalities are avoidable and therefore unjust, emphasising the need for tomorrow’s doctors, medical students, to be adequately trained to become competent and non-discriminatory towards people with intellectual disability.
In response to the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review report, the government set out their commitment to ensure mandatory training for health-care professionals (Health Education England, 2020). The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training of Learning Disability and Autism is a standardised training package developed to meet the requirement for regulated service providers to ensure their staff receive training in intellectual disability and autism (Health Education England, 2020). The training emerged following inappropriate prescribing, emphasising the need to train staff in the needs of people with autism and intellectual disability.
In terms of training tomorrow’s doctors, Health Education England stated it will engage with employers, the General Medical Council (GMC), Medical Royal Colleges and representative bodies to ensure that the medical curriculum meets the needs of its patients and the National Health Service (NHS) going forward (2019). The GMC stipulates that UK medical graduates should be competent in assessing and communicating the needs of these patients (National Health Services, 2019; General Medical Council, 2018). However, developing a standardised training package that can meet the needs of multiple students and staff across a variety of settings is a challenge. Medical schools must adapt their curricular to include a diverse...