Estimating future numbers of adults with profound multiple learning disabilities in England

This article summarises recent work, commissioned by the Department of Health, which estimated the future need for health and social care services for adults with profound multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) in England. This estimation process involved four stages: identifying children with SEN associated with PMLD; adjusting for the effects of child mortality; estimating the number of adults with PMLD in England; and estimating net changes in the number of adults with PMLD in England. The overall findings suggest sustained and accelerating growth in the number of adults with PMLD in England over the time period 2009‐2026 and hence the need and demand for health and social care services for adults with PMLD.