‘STOMP’ and ‘STAMP’ - The Essential Role of the Health and Care Workforce in Reducing the Reliance on Psychotropic Medication - Summary Report
This summary report provides headline findings from the “‘STOMP’ and ‘STAMP’” project undertaken in collaboration by the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG), Learning Disability England (LDE) and Skills for Care.
The project was funded by Health Education England and took place between 2022 and 2023.
It is estimated that on an average day in England between 30,000 and 35,000 people with a learning disability, autism or both are taking prescribed psychotropic medication without appropriate clinical justification (NHSE, 2015) . This is medication which results in alterations to perception, mood or consciousness. Long-term use of these medicines puts people at unnecessary risk of a wide range of side effects including weight gain, organ failure and even premature death.
The 2020 Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) report identified that almost a quarter of all people who have died were on an antipsychotic medication, of which 8% were taking two or more of these drugs. This is contra to advice from NICE.
We are hopeful that STOMP - STAMP becoming part of the wider NHS Long Term plan will improve its utilisation by the health and social care workforce and lead to an overall reduction in the use of psychotropic medications for people with a learning disability, autism, or both. However, from the findings in this research it is clear that a multi-pronged approach is needed to achieve this outcome.
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What are STOMP and STAMP?
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Report Key Findings
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What could we do, who could do it, and how do we get them to do it?
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Contact Details
Lyn Griffiths
Email: lyn.griffiths@ndti.org.uk