Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

Heath Needs Assessment for Adults with a Learning

Disability

Nicola Wilson

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

• Earlier this year Anita Houghton, who is a Consultant in Public Health at the PCT, wrote a report about the health and health needs of people with a Learning Disability.

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

About the Report• Over the next 2 years Bromley wants to make

services better for people with a Learning Disability.

• The report says what health services are like now and how they need to change for the future.

A copy of the report is available in easy read

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

What does the report say?• The number of people with a learning

disability has increased a lot over the last 60 years, and it will continue to increase.

• People with a learning disability have more health problems than other people, they may also find it harder to use health services.

• There have been reports saying that health services don’t always work well for people with a learning disability (for example ‘6 lives’ report).

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

Common Health Problems• Breathing Problems• Epilepsy• Swallowing problems• Constipation• Mental health problems• Communication problems• Problems with eyesight and

teeth• Heart disease

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

What does Bromley do well?

Specialist Service• The Community Learning Disability Services is available

for people with a learning disability and other needs such as challenging behaviour and epilepsy.

Planning New Services• Bromley is thinking about the needs of people with a

learning disability and how we make services better, including dementia, autism, sexual health and obesity.

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

What does Bromley do well (2)? Patient Records• GP surgeries and health centres have started keeping

records of people with a learning disability and their health needs.

Annual Health Checks and Personal Health Plans• GP surgeries and health centres have started doing

annual health checks and making personal health plans for people with a learning disability.

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

What does Bromley do well (3)?

Information and Communication• Bromley has easy read leaflets about various tests and

procedures.• Hospital staff are being trained to work with

people with a learning disability.• There is information on all the wards to help

nurses communicate with people who have a

learning disability

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

What does Bromley need to do better? Planning New Services• Make sure any new services are easy for people with a

learning disability to use and understand• Keep good records so that we know what the needs are

of local people• Plan a new service for people with Autistic Spectrum

Disorders

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

What does Bromley need to do better (2)? Patient Records• Make sure health records clearly show that someone has a learning

disability and what their health needs are.• Make sure services keep good records of the health needs of

people with a learning disability to help us plan for the future.

Annual Health Checks and Personal Health Plans• Increase the number of GPs offering health

checks and the number of people receiving

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

What does Bromley need to do better (3)?

Information and Communication• Get better at asking people what they think about

services• Make sure services are easier for people to understand• Do more training with staff• Make sure everyone working with people with a learning

disability has more about their own health

Bromley Learning Disability Partnership Board

• We need to share the report and decide how to make things better.

• We need to try and work to improve the health of people with a learning disability

• We need to work to improve health services for people with a learning disability

What Next?