confidential inquiry into the deaths of people with learning disabilities identifying patients with...

Confidential Inquiry into the deaths of people with learning disabilities

Identifying patients with learning disabilities

Pauline HeslopAnna Marriott

Identifying patients with learning disabilities

• One of the key recommendations of the Michael report in 2008.

• The CI highlighted the continuing need to identify people with learning disabilities in healthcare settings to avoid their serious disadvantage.

Key issues

• Lack of identification in:• GP referral letters• Hospital record systems

• Lack of awareness that reasonable adjustments might be required.

• Limited ability to extract data about people with learning disabilities.

Impact of not identifying patients• Reasonable adjustments not

provided.• Poor access to healthcare

services.• Missed appointments, with

associated cost.• Unable to extract data about

people with learning disabilities to feed into JSNAs.

• Lack of intelligence to support commissioning priorities.

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Considerations

• Patient sensitivities.

• Effective data sharing protocols.

• Systems must be flexible enough to respond to the information.

The way forward?