Transforming hospital visits for patients with learning disabilities

To mark the start of Learning Disability Week on Monday 19 June, we held a film premiere event called 'Empathy in Motion: Unveiling Hospital Journeys'. The event showcased our new films that help people with a learning disability to better understand their visit to hospital.

Over 30 guests attended the intimate screening morning hosted by Sarah Wilding, Chief Nurse, and Director of Allied Health Professionals. She was joined by patients and their families, clinicians, local councillors, and Sir David Sloman, NHS England’s Chief Operating Officer and Tom Cahill, National Director for Learning Disability and Autism to get a first look at these new innovative films.

Many people with a learning disability face health inequalities that come from health care services not serving them well – this results in a lower life expectancy compared to the general population (18 years shorter for women and 14 years shorter for men).

One of the main barriers stopping people with a learning disability from getting good quality healthcare is the uncertainty and anxiety they might experience prior to coming to hospital – which means they may be reluctant to attend their appointments.

 
We worked with leading national and local learning disability charities to find out how we could improve their experiences coming into our hospital. From this we identified areas of concern and created films to allow patients to see what they can expect when visiting the hospital for an appointment, coming to the Emergency Department, and having an operation.

These films were co-designed with our service users and aim to reduce the anxiety people may have before attending unfamiliar hospital environments. We want to ensure that all patients feel more confident and informed to access health care when they need it.

 

Following the screening, participants were each awarded a personalised trophy to recognise their contribution to the project. As part of the co-designed project, service users were involved throughout – with people sharing their experiences to help others, choosing what scenarios should be covered, and featuring in the films.

 

These patient scenario films, support our work in improving the reasonable adjustments we provide for patients with learning disabilities – helping us become a more accessible organisation and to ensure our local communities are empowered to access care tailored to their needs.