Learning Disabilities

A learning disability affects the way a person learns new things throughout their lifetime, affects the way a person understands information and how they communicate.  This means they can have difficulty:

• understanding new or complex information
• learning new skills
• coping independently

Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability.  It is thought up to 350,000 people have a severe learning disability.  This figure is increasing.

People with a learning disability often have poorer physical and mental health than other people. This does not need to be the case.

It is important that everyone over the age of 14 who is on their doctor's learning disability register has an annual health check.

An annual health check can help you stay well by talking to a doctor or nurse about your health and finding any problems early, so they can be sorted out.

You do not have to be ill to have a health check – in fact, most people have their annual health check when they are feeling well.

If you are worried about seeing someone, or there is anything they can do to make your appointment better, let the doctor or nurse know.

They can make changes to help you. These are called reasonable adjustments.

This easy read leaflet tells you what a health check is, how to get a health check and how to find out more information about health checks.

STOMP stands for stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines.

STOMP is about everyone working together to make sure people get the right medicine when they need it.  It is also about making sure that people get the other support they need. This  might mean they are less likely to need this sort of medicine.

STOMP is about helping people to stay well and have a good quality of life.

NHS 111 is the NHS non-emergency number.  It’s fast, easy and free.  Call 111 on your phone and speak to a highly trained adviser, supported by healthcare professionals.  They will ask you a series of questions to assess your symptoms and immediately direct you to the best medical care for you.

You should call 111 if :

• you need medical help – but it’s not a 999 emergency
• you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
• you don’t know who to call or you don’t have a GP to call
• you need health information or reassurance about what to do next

The NHS 111 service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.

The NHS programme is called transforming care and is all about making health and care services better so that more people with a learning disability, autism or both can live in the community, with the right support and close to home.

This easy read newsletter tells you what the NHS are doing to make the NHS better for people with a learning disability, autism or both.

It is important to have your flu vaccination. Protect yourself from flu and have the flu vaccine. Your carer is also eligible for a free flu vaccination.