Improving the uptake of Annual Health Checks for people with learning disabilities

"People with learning disabilities have poorer health than their non-disabled peers, yet differences in
health status are, to an extent, avoidable. The health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities in the UK start early in life, and result, to an extent, from barriers they face in accessing timely, appropriate and effective health care." IHAL report - Health Inequalities & People with Learning Disabilities in the UK: 2010

Funded by Health Education England (HEE South), 4 organisations: The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), Learning Disability England (LDE), Skills for Care (SFC) and Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) will be working together to find out what the uptake of Annual Health Checks are across the south region, and if any particular groups of people are having difficulties in getting their check.

The core aim of this project will ultimately be to improve the uptake and quality of annual health checks for people with learning disabilities across the South Region, and reduce instances of people failing to receive the health care and treatment they need which can lead to increasing health inequalities and untimely deaths of people with learning disabilities. People with a learning disability are more likely than people in the general population to face challenges with their health care. The Learning Disability Mortality Review Programme (also know as LeDeR) was established to drive improvement in the quality of health and social care service delivery for people with learning disabilities. Health checks are an important part of improving people with a learning disability’s wellbeing. The partners in this bid see this programme as an opportunity to build on existing work and use our existing knowledge in partnership to deliver meaningful outcomes from this project.

As well as research looking into what various groups of people already know about how to support health checks for people from age 14 onwards - including staff in health, education and social care, people with learning disabilities and their families or personal assistants as well as volunteers and community groups. - the findings will shape a range of free best practice resources to help and support best practice.