Learning disabilities and palliative care: recognizing pitfalls and exploring potential.

People with learning disabilities may experience poorer health, have additional health needs and often die younger than the average population. They may be diagnosed with palliative conditions but have difficulties accessing appropriate assessment, treatment and subsequent care. This position paper introduces the recognized challenges of providing high quality palliative care to people with learning disabilities and explores the potential for delivering appropriate palliative care for this vulnerable population within the UK. The article concludes with recommendations for practice development.