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.

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

Learning disability and autism

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.

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.

It is important to have your flu vaccination. Protect yourself from flu and have the flu vaccine.