Care homes urged to sign pledge to stop over-medicating people with learning disabilities

Care homes are being urged to sign up to the STOMP pledge (STopping the Over-Medication of People with a learning disability, Autism or both) in a drive to stop the over-reliance on antipsychotic and antidepressant medications to treat ‘problem’ behaviours.

Care providers which care for people with learning disabilities and Autism are being asked to sign up to positive behavioural approaches as an alternative to medication, ensuring that people with learning disabilities and their family members are involved in decisions about their medication and that decisions are reviewed regularly. They also need to commit to working closely with prescribers.

Figures show that there are currently between 30,000-35,000 people with learning disabilities that are taking prescribed antipsychotic or antidepressant medication daily “without appropriate clinical justification”, according to Public Health England.

Long-term use of these medicines can lead to significant weight gain, organ failure and, in some cases, death.

Carl Shaw, learning disability advisor for NHS England said: “A care provider’s role is to support people to live the life they choose but if they are wrongly prescribed psychotropic medication then they aren’t living a life of their choosing.

“If you help people to take the right medication then their quality of life will be closer to how they want it to be.”

The STOMP campaign is a cross-platform approach, involving groups such as Care England, Learning Disability England and National Care Forum, and is supported by NHS England, the Care Quality Commission and Skills for Care.

The initiative was originally introduced in June 2016, by Alistair Burt, Minister of State for Community and Social Care.

Hazel Watson, head of mental health and learning disabilities at NHS England explained how frontline staff can make a positive difference.

"Thousands of people with a learning disability are supported by social care providers. Their commitment to the principles of STOMP, ensuring people are on the right medication for them, is really important. Social care staff are in a unique position to support lots of people to get their medication right."

It is hoped that the collaborative nature of the campaign will result in a better approach to medication within the care industry.

Professor Rhidian Hughes is chief executive from the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, one of the professional bodies involved in the scheme. He said:

“The STOMP initiative is an excellent example of how cross-sector working can make a meaningful difference to individuals.

“When social care providers, commissioners and clinicians actively collaborate to ensure that people receive the optimum medication and when side effects are minimised, this significantly improves people’s quality of life.”

To sign up to STOMP go to https://www.vodg.org.uk/campaigns/stompcampaign/