Enter and View report “Look and Listen”

Healthwatch Bexley worked with Bexley Mencap and the Speaking Up group to assess how learning disability-friendly local GP practices were. Visits were carried out to 26 GP practices and branch sites across the borough. The review found considerable variation in the number of annual health checks completed for patients with learning disabilities and highlighted that many practices were not consistently making reasonable adjustments to support access. Key concerns included limited use of easy-read information, a lack of learning disability-specific information in waiting areas, and inconsistent provision of longer appointments. 

The project found that only around half of practices routinely worked with the Oxleas Learning Disability Team, only half automatically offered longer appointments for people with learning disabilities, and many staff had not received specialist learning disability awareness training. Communication was identified as a key barrier, with concerns that patients may miss health checks if invitations and information are not provided in accessible formats. The report stressed the importance of easy-read communication, personalised support and reasonable adjustments tailored to individual needs. 

Observations of surgeries were generally positive, with practices found to be clean and accessible, although some lacked automatic doors, lowered reception desks or clearly organised information displays. None of the practices visited had dedicated learning disability information boards with easy-read materials. The review also highlighted wider concerns about waiting times, with many respondents reporting that appointments did not usually run to time, something that can be particularly challenging for people with learning disabilities.

Healthwatch concluded that GP practices should strengthen support for patients with learning disabilities by increasing staff training, improving access to annual health checks, offering longer appointments, providing information in accessible formats and working more closely with specialist learning disability services. The project also demonstrated the value of involving people with learning disabilities directly in reviewing and improving healthcare services.