NHS SHeffield CCG – Physical health improvement service for adults living with severe mental illness, learning disabilities, and autistic spectrum condition

People living with severe mental illness (SMI), learning disabilities (LD) and autistic spectrum condition (ASC), face some of the greatest health inequality gaps in England. The average life expectancy for someone with a long-term mental health illness is at least 15-20 years shorter than for someone without and it is estimated that for people with SMI, 2 in 3 deaths are from physical illnesses that can be prevented . On average men with LD die 23 years earlier than men without a LD and for women it's 27 years earlier . Autistic people die on average 16 years earlier than the general population . Poorer physical health is for the majority of people due to preventable illnesses.

The NHS Long Term Plan includes priorities to increase the number of people receiving physical health checks for people living with severe mental illness and learning disability, and for across the NHS, for us to do more to ensure that all people with a learning disability, autism, or both can live happier, healthier, longer lives, and that physical health checks will also be introduced for autistic people.