Most primary care trusts are failing government rules aimed at ending discrimination against disabled people, according to a new report.

A study by the Leonard Cheshire charity found 90 per cent of trusts are at risk of breaching the Disability Discrimination Act.

It claimed significant numbers of disabled people still get unequal treatment and many face barriers such as staff attitudes and poor communication when using doctors, dentists, opticians or emergency departments.

Only 20 per cent of trusts prioritise communication needs and fewer than nine percent list staff attitudes as a concern.

The charity called for compulsory disability training for health staff as it is a lack of awareness about people's disabilities, rather than a reluctance to address the issue, that is creating problems.

John Knight of Leonard Cheshire said the results clearly illustrated the need to reassess health care access.

"Access for disabled people goes much wider than ramps or lifts. Are disabled people given the same respect and quality of service as everyone else? These are uncomfortable questions, but we need answers - and solutions," he said.

"We believe a shift in attitude could easily be achieved if primary care trusts followed NHS guidelines to give compulsory disability training to health care staff. At the end of the day we're talking about giving appropriate health care to one seventh of the population in the UK."