Disabled people have been disproportionately affected by reductions and cancellations to NHS treatments caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a major study has shown.
The Office For National Statistics, the largest independent producer of official statistics and the recognised national statistical institute of the UK, has issued a new report titled ‘Coronavirus and the social impacts on disabled people in Great Britain: September 2020.’
This contains indicators from the Opinions And Lifestyle Survey that is conducted eight months of every year. It looks at the social impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on disabled people in Great Britain. This release uses two waves of survey results covering 24 September to 4 October 2020 and includes indicators broken down by impairment type.
Among the results shown are that around half the disabled people who were receiving medical care before the coronavirus pandemic began are now either currently receiving treatment for only some of their conditions (29%), or that their treatment had been cancelled or not started (22%), compared with less than 3 in 10 (27%) of non-disabled people who had a physical or mental health condition or illness and were receiving care before the pandemic.
Also 45% of those disabled people who had reported receiving a reduced level of treatment or had their treatment cancelled in September 2020 reported that they felt their health had worsened in this time; in July 2020 this proportion was 25%.
Unsurprisingly a larger proportion of disabled people (83%) than non-disabled people (77%) supported “strict” or “very strict” enforcement by police of government rules aimed at combatting the coronavirus such as social distancing; disabled people were less likely to socialise within large groups than non-disabled people; only 5% of disabled people mixed with groups exceeding five (from outside their household), compared with 9% of non-disabled people.
You can read the full report here.
Another report, by the UK Parliament’s Public Services Committee looks at lessons to be learned by public services during the pandemic and recommends a number of principles to transform public service delivery. Here are the findings.
- If you would like to share your experiences about what your life’s been like since the pandemic started, you can join in Disability Sheffield’s fortnightly Zoom drop-in. Come and join us (with a cuppa) to keep us in the loop of how COVID restrictions are affecting you and hear about other people’s experiences. Some of the main themes shall be passed onto the council in the hope that they will be able to help.
The fortnightly drop ins are on alternate Mondays from 11am-noon and the next sessions are on 30th November and 14th December. Please email james.martin@disabilitysheffield.org.uk for the Zoom details and let us know you’re coming along.
