Things to ask for to make your visit to hospital easier
Clear communication from healthcare staff.
Longer appointments.
Accessible
Accessible means something is easy for people to use or join in with. For example: Accessible writing means the writing is easy to read and understand.
information.
Resources to help with a hospital visit
Reasonable adjustments in hospital
What are reasonable adjustments?
Reasonable adjustments are small changes that can help people 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. be treated equally.
The
law
Laws are the rules that everyone in the country has to follow. If you don't follow the rules you can get in trouble with the police.
says that reasonable adjustments should be put in place. Watch our video to find out how they can help you.
It's not just during visits to hospital when people with a learning disability need more support
Thanks to those campaigning alongside Mencap, particularly following our Treat Me Well campaign A campaign is when people work together to try to change something. , visiting hospital is starting to become easier for people with a learning disability.
But there's so much more to be done.
Mencap has, and always will, continue to campaign tirelessly to make the UK the best place for people with a learning disability to live.
Reports and lived experiences which highlighted the changes needed in healthcare during our Treat Me Well campaign
You can use our hospital passport template to make your own hospital passport.
To find out how to use the hospital passport visit our website.
Under the
Equality
Equality is when everyone is treated fairly.
Act 2010, all disabled people have the right to reasonable adjustments when using public services, including healthcare.
Every person is different, so the adjustments people with a learning disability need will differ from person to person. However, there are common adjustments that help lots of people with a learning disability.
A Hospital Communication Book has been developed on behalf of The Learning Disability Partnership Board in Surrey.
The Partnership Board funded the Access To Acute Hospitals Project which aimed to help make sure that people with a learning disability had the right support when they used acute hospital services.
The biggest barrier to people receiving the right support was found to be communication. Their book aims to help hospital staff in 2 ways, and contains 2 sections:
- Section 1 - To give acute hospital staff basic information about the communication needs people may have
- Section 2 - To be a practical communication tool people can use to help communicate together.
The
Mental Capacity
Mental capacity means being able to make a decision when it needs to be made.
Act 2005 sets out the law around supporting people with a learning disability to make decisions.
Decisions about healthcare are some of the most important any of us will make, so it is vital that everyone who is involved Involved is being included in something or taking part in something. in providing healthcare to people with a learning disability understands and follows the Mental Capacity Act.
During our Treat Me Well campaign we created a brochure to outline how can healthcare professionals meet the needs of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in hospital.
During our Treat Me Well campaign we created guidance Guidance means being given clear instructions to be able to do something well. for parents called 'Make your child's voice heard'. It outlines reasonable adjustments for children and young people with a learning disability in hospital.