Equal Access
The Foundation used learning from the Better Health, Better Metrics project to produce guidance for commissioners and for Overview and Scrutiny Committees about access to health care. In 2009 the Foundation prepared a practical guide for the Department of Health called Equal Access?. The aim of the guide is to support people working in hospital and community health services to improve access for people with learning disabilities. The Foundation is currently using the learning from this to produce resources for people with learning disabilities and family carers about what they can expect from the NHS.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is an example of a trust that makes use of the PAS ‘flag’ system to alert services that a referred patient has learning disabilities and may be carrying a health action plan and ‘vulnerable in-patient’ (VIP) card. The VIP card is a Z-fold card containing critical information about the person’s health. The Complex Needs Care Co-ordinator (matron) also receives an email when a patient is admitted or is put on a pending waiting list for an out-patient appointment.
More Information
Contact: amanda.mckie@cht.nhs.uk.
Alison has a wealth of experience in the field of learning disabilities, having worked in senior commissioning, consultancy and service development roles. She actively serves on a number of national advisory boards and is published widely.