Exploring how adults with learning disabilities are supported by GP services in Hertfordshire

There are appoximately 1.5 million people in the UK who have a learning disability and an estimated 21,000 people with a learning disability living in Hertfordshire. People with learning disabilities tend to experience much poorer physical health outcomes and are more susceptible to a range of health conditions compared to the general population.

Overview

Aims of research:

To understand the barriers adults with a learning disability may face when accessing their GP practice.
To explore whether GP services are providing reasonable adjustments to adults with a learning disability, and communicating in a way that is accessible to them.
To explore whether adults with a learning disability feel supported and listened to by their GP practice.
To investigate whether adults with a learning disability are supported by their GP practice to live a healthy lifestyle.
To identify what additional support adults with a learning disability would like to receive from their GP practice to help them to live a healthy lifestyle.

Publication date

November 2023

Key findings

Findings demonstrate examples of best practice within some GP practices and also highlight the difficulties people with learning disabilitites face in accessing their GP practice, and a lack of support around now to live a healthy lifestyle.

Key issues include:

Barriers in accessing their GP practice for an appointment, and the value of GP practices having a care coordinator to specifically support people with learning disabilities.
Lack of choice in regards to appointment type, time and date and choice of clinician.
Lack of understanding and awareness of accessibility and communication needs.
Lack of personalised, tailored information on living a healthy lifestyle.
Mixed experiences regarding annual health checks, with concerns raised about the quality.

Additional information

Survey by Healthwatch Hertfordshire.

Healthwatch Hertfordshire and Healthwatch Essex have been commissioned by the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) Primary Care Workstream to undertake a series of engagement projects.

The aims of the engagement projects include:

Gathering lived experiences to feed directly into the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS
Primary Care Workstream.
Supporting and enabling the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS to achieve wider
participant engagement.
Engaging patients and the public on programmes covering key priorities and areas of
importance at a regional and local level.
Making recommendations to the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS Primary Care
Workstream so improvements can be implemented.