Since the 1970s, medical staff have routinely disclosed the diagnosis of cancer to their patients. However, this has often been carried out unskilfully causing distress to the patient and impairing their ability to comply with treatment. In response, the government has invested in "Advanced Communication Skills training" for oncology staff. Despite the subsequent advances made in communicating with the general public, this article will show that a small-scale audit of people with learning disabilities demonstrated that often doctors do not communicate directly with people with learning disabilities about serious illness. It will also suggest that, the current "breaking bad news" models do not meet the communication needs of people with learning disabilities. This article explores the findings of the audit and its implications for practice and ends by sign posting to useful resources for communicating the bad news of a life-threatening illness to people with learning disabilities.