Improving health outcomes for people with learning disabilities

This report summarises Healthwatch South Gloucestershire’s co-produced project which sought to look at the different ways Healthwatch could help improve health outcomes for people with learning disabilities.

This project has produced a Checklist which is a resource that seeks to improve the quality of the Learning Disability Annual Health Check, and the health outcomes for people with learning disabilities by offering multiple opportunities for prevention and intervention conversations. By adopting a co-production approach, the Checklist has had buy-in from health and care professionals, carers and, most importantly, people with learning disabilities.

Healthwatch South Gloucestershire made six recommendations in this report:

• That the checklist is placed on TeamsNet and Remedy as a resource for professionals
• That the checklist is shared widely between voluntary sector partners
• That services promote the resource on social media
• That steps are taken to ensure GPs and practice managers make good use of the checklist, including sharing it with people with learning disabilities and their carers
• That the Sirona Community Learning Disability Team utilise the checklist in their work
• The checklist is integrated into systems in the Bristol and North Somerset area for the benefit of all people with learning disabilities

This report contains a response from several stakeholders.