Improving health
People with a learning disability are 4 times more likely to die of something which could have been prevented than the general population (Disability Rights Commission, 2006).
We are working on lots of different pieces of work which are all helping to improve people’s health so this doesn’t happen in the future.
These include:
- Always Events
- Annual health checks
- Ask Listen Do – supporting people with feedback, concerns and complaints
- Diabetes
- Eye care, dental care and hearing checks in special residential schools
- GP online services
- Guidance for front line staff
- Health and care passports
- Learning Disability Register
- Learning from lives and deaths – people with a learning disability and autistic people (LeDeR)
- NHS quality checking
- Personal health budgets
- Reasonable adjustments
- Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both (STOMP)
- Summary care records
- Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics (STAMP)
For information on vaccinations for people with a learning disability, please visit the vaccines page within this section.
Information about type 1 diabetes: for people with a learning disability
This is a short film about Jodie, one of our learning disability and autism network managers, who has type 1 diabetes. She says you can live a normal life.
If you have diabetes, Jodie wants you to attend your diabetic checks and look after yourself by managing your diet and exercising.
For more information, have a look at our plain English and easy read newsletters. Number 18 talks about type 1 diabetes and number 17 talks about type 2 diabetes. Read this guide about managing type 1 diabetes, it is translated into different languages and this type 1 diabetes UK video.
Clinical guide for front line staff to support the management of patients with a learning disability and autistic people – relevant to all clinical specialties
During the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS England wrote and published guidance about caring for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Three years on, the guidance remains important for front line practice, so has been updated. The guidance supports health professionals to deliver good quality care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Health and care passports
The health and care passport is designed to be a quick and easy way to give health and social care professionals more information about you to help them provide right care and treatment. It should help them understand what reasonable adjustments they should make for you and how to communicate effectively so your voice is always heard.
The NHS has made some guidance and a template for integrated care systems (ICSs) to review existing arrangements for health and care passports (or hospital passports) to address recommendations by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), and to improve health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic people.
- implementation guidance and template for integrated care systems
- easy read information about what a health and care passport is for and how to complete one
- accessible plain English guide to health and care passports for people with a learning disability, autistic people, their families and paid carers version of the implementation guidance
Information about the Learning Disability Register
This leaflet helps people think about whether their child or someone they care for could be considered to have a learning disability and should be on their local GP practice’s Learning Disability Register, to help them get the help they need.
You can also access plain English, easy read and accessible versions of the leaflet.