Demand Fair Medical Investigations for Young People with Learning Disabilities, Autism and complex needs.

Stop Diagnostic Overshadowing in the NHS

Petition to improve NHS accountability and ensure equal access to medical investigations

The Issue

Jake Moore is an 18-year-old young man with complex needs who has been repeatedly failed by the healthcare system.

Despite clear, ongoing motor difficulties identified throughout childhood, Jake has never received the full and appropriate medical investigations he deserves.

Instead, his symptoms have too often been dismissed or wrongly attributed to his learning disability.

This is known as diagnostic overshadowing — and it is happening far too often.

What is Diagnostic Overshadowing?

Diagnostic overshadowing occurs when healthcare professionals assume that new or existing symptoms are part of a person’s learning disability or autism, rather than properly investigating them.

This can lead to:

Missed or delayed diagnoses

Lack of treatment

Long-term harm

Inequality in healthcare

Jake has experienced this first-hand.

What Happened to Jake

Motor difficulties were identified in childhood — but never investigated

Multiple services recognised concerns — but failed to refer

He was passed between NHS departments without being seen

After a 65-week wait, he received a 20-minute neurology appointment

No reasonable adjustments were made for his learning disability

No full history was taken

No childhood reports were reviewed

Further investigations were refused

A life-impacting decision was made based on limited information and opinion.

This Isn’t Just About Jake

This is happening to many individuals across England.

People with learning disabilities and complex needs are at higher risk of being dismissed, ignored, or misdiagnosed.

They deserve the same standard of care as everyone else.

What We Are Asking For

We are calling on NHS leaders, regulators, and government to:

Ensure mandatory reasonable adjustments for patients with learning disabilities

Require full clinical history reviews, including childhood reports

Prevent diagnosis based on assumptions or limited assessments

Introduce safeguards to identify and prevent diagnostic overshadowing

Guarantee access to appropriate and timely investigations

Improve accountability across NHS services

Jake's message

Jake does not want compensation.

He does not want to take legal action.

He simply wants:

A fair, thorough investigation — just like any other young person.

And he wants to make sure others don’t go through the same experience.

Take Action

Sign this petition to demand change.

Help ensure that no one is overlooked, dismissed, or denied care because of a label.

Everyone deserves to be heard. Everyone deserves proper medical care.

✍️ Sign and share to make a difference