Learning Disabilities - Specialist Nursing
The Learning Disabilities Primary Health Facilitation Service provides support for people with learning disabilities to gain full access to health care.
The Primary Health Facilitation service aims to reduce health inequalities for people with learning disabilities by helping them gain full access to the health care they need in either primary or secondary care.
The team also provides advice to people with learning disabilitites and their carers and professionals in reducing inappropriate admissions to hospital or attendance at Accident and Emergency.
The service works in partnership with carers both paid and unpaid and other primary health professionsl to improve accessibility and acceptability by:-
- Reducing health inequalities for people with learning disabilities initially targeting groups with higher incidence of health problems, which would include young people in transition, BME communities, people with Downs Syndrome, and those with elderly carers.
- Promoting health and wellbeing especially for hard to reach groups who do not access other services would ensure equitable access to all health services for all people with learning disabilities.
- Ensure that GPs and their workforce are trained to deliver health checks for all people with learning disabilities making sure that all health checks are undertaken annually. Reviewing and updating GP registers and collate information on the prevalence and health needs of people with learning disabilities in Stoke-on-Trent.
- To train carers, paid and unpaid, to identify health problems and to assist in the implementation of Health Action Plans, advise other health care staff on issues concerning learning disabilities, including at admission and discharge. Help support the development of an Expert Patient programme that is suitable for people with a learning disability
- To advise people with learning disabilities, their families and carers when there is a planned admission to hospital ensuring that health action plans are written and implemented and reviewed annually.
Referrals to the service are accepted from any carer paid or unpaid, healthcare professional or organisation.
The team can be contacted Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) from 9am to 5pm at:-
Stoke Health Centre
Honeywall,
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 7JB
Telephone: 01782 227749
Valuing People
Stoke-on-Trent Learning Disability Partnership Board
