IMPROVING THE ACCESS OF PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY
TO ACUTE HEALTHCARE SERVICES
This page is regularly reviewed; your comments and feedback are welcomed
BACKGROUND
There is ample evidence that patients with a learning disability are more vulnerable in acute hospitals than the general population due to their additional complex needs. Recent reports have detailed that people with a learning disability have higher levels of unmet healthcare need, receive less effective treatment and may face avoidable harm.
The following reports provide this evidence.
Mencap 'Death By Indifference (2007)' Click Here
Healthcare For All: Sir Jonathan Michaels (2008) Click Here
Ombudsman Report: Six Lives (2009) Click Here
WHAT WE ARE DOING
St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has established a range of processes to support its staff in providing good quality care to ALL patients recognising that patients with a learning disability may need additional support and adjustments.
The Trust has signed up to the Mencap 'Getting it Right' Campaign at a launch in November 2010 Click Here
Expressions of Concern
We have established a system for any provider service to 'express a concern' without the need to make a formal complaint but confident that the Trust will listen and provide a response.
To obtain a copy of the guidance and form Click Here
POLICY AND GUIDANCE FOR ALL STAFF
The Trust has compiled a Policy to describe the process and ascribe roles and responsibilities for all staff in providing access and care for people with a learning disability to its services:
To access the Trust Policy: Click Here
This policy provides a clear and explicit pathway for people with a learning disability who are following these pathways into the Trust
- Attending at the Emergency Department (A & E)
- Attending at the Outpatients Department
- Attending for an investigation
- Emergency Admission
- Planned Operations
The Trust supports this with Guidance for all staff: Click Here
HEALTH PASSPORT
The Trust is working with its Social and Health Care Community colleagues to ensure that pathways are as explicit and transparent as possible. The Health Passport has been compiled to assist this process. Whilst the Hospital Passport should be compiled in the community for use in hospital acute care staff from the Trust should be making a habit of asking carers and families for a Health Passport whenever they identify a patient with a learning disability using acute services. If one is not available consider using the Learning Disability Community Team as an alternative source of advice:
A copy of the 'Health Passport' (Knowsley) is available here Click Here
A copy of the 'Health Passport' (Halton and St Helens) is available Click Here
Guidance on the completion of the Health Passport is available Click Here
A number of tools are being developed for staff and can be accessed below:
USEFUL LEARNING DISABILITY COMMUNITY CONTACTS
At St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust we see patients from four different localities all serviced by a different set of services supporting local their residents who have a learning disability. It is imperative that when a patient comes uses our services we can access advice and support from the services who know the patients best.
A list of local community contact is available: Click Here
A recent presentation to the Senior Nurse Forum is available Click Here
COMMUNICATION AIDES
A number of people with a learning disability have difficulty in communication their needs, particularly to people who may not be used to their methods of communication. The two documents below provide some information and methods to assist staff where families and carers may not be available.
Hospital Communication Book Part 1 Click Here
ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION
The Trust is developing a range of accessible information in an 'easy read' format with local advocacy and learning disability user groups.
These materials can be accessed via this link Click Here
FURTHER CONTACT
If any member of the public or staff requires advice, information or discussion about supporting people with a learning disability or someone currently in hospital then please do not hesitate to contact Adult Safeguarding 0151 430 1047/1552/1332