You can save lives
It is important that everyone with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
is on their GP’s
learning disability register
The learning disability register is a list of people with a learning disability that the doctor’s surgery looks after.
.
Healthcare professionals have an important role in identifying people who would benefit from being on the register, without the need for a diagnosis A diagnosis is when a medical professional like a doctor has said you have a certain illness or condition. . This ensures good quality annual health checks and health action plans for people with a learning disability.
Find out more about our I'm In campaign and help save more lives.
Identifying and reviewing patients with a learning disability
The latest
NHS
The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals.
England
guidance
Guidance means being given clear instructions to be able to do something well.
for improving identification of people with a learning disability can be found in a guide on their
website
A website is a page you can go to on the internet like Google or YouTube.
.
The guide aims to support the development and maintenance of GP learning disability registers. It replaces ’Improving identification of people with a learning disability: guidance for general practice’, which was published in 2019.
Easy read resources for patients
Easy read Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing. is a way of sharing information in a clear way. We use short sentences, easy words and pictures to make difficult information more easy to understand. All of our Easy Read's are free and available to download and keep. Patients may prefer these easy read Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing. documents to help them understand more about the learning disability register
Annual health checks and the learning disability register
Annual health checks are for people with a learning disability who are over 14 years old. They are carried out by a doctor or nurse once a year.
Being on the learning disability register means people with a learning disability get regular access to this vital provision.
Get the I'm In poster
Print off and display the A3 I'm in poster in your office, GP practice, or wherever you like. It contains all the information people need to join the learning disability register.
A message from Wes Streeting
Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and
Social Care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
, and Ismail Kaji, Mencap’s Parliamentary and Government Engagement Officer have written a letter to all health staff working in a GP surgery to help tackle the health inequalities that people with a learning disability face.
By Mencap