Nearly one in five (19%) of the working age population and one in two (46%) of the state pension age population in the UK report have a disability. With an ageing population and an increase in chronic health problems the number of people living with a disability is increasing.

Disability can vary considerably and refers to the interaction between a person’s health condition and personal and environmental factors. Although some health conditions associated with disability result in poor health and wide ranging healthcare needs, others do not. Irrespective of the degree of need, all people with a disability have the same general healthcare needs as the rest of the population and therefore require access to mainstream healthcare services. Article 25 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) reinforces the right of persons with disability to attain the highest standard of healthcare, without discrimination (World Health Organization, 2020).