Supporting patients with learning disabilities
Here at Parkside, we work closely with our patients with learning disabilities to make sure they receive the care, support and understanding they need.
We have a clinical lead for learning disabilities who understands the specific needs of our patients and works with our wider practice team to help ensure they receive appropriate and accessible care. Our clinical lead also carries out annual health checks for patients with learning disabilities. These checks provide an opportunity to review your health, discuss any concerns, identify potential health problems early, and make sure you are receiving the support you need.
As part of your annual health check, we will ask you each year whether you require any reasonable adjustments. This helps us ensure that we keep your needs up to date and can provide the appropriate support.
Reasonable adjustments may include, for example, allowing additional time during appointments to give you more time to process information, communicate your needs, or ask questions.
Please let us know about any adjustments that would help you access your health check and receive the support you need.
Learning Disability or Learning Difficulty – What’s the Difference?
The terms learning disability and learning difficulty are sometimes confused, but they describe different things.
- A learning disability is a lifelong condition that affects how a person understands information, learns new skills and manages everyday life. It can affect areas such as communication, understanding, independence and decision-making.
- A learning difficulty usually affects a particular area of learning, rather than a person's overall intellectual ability. Examples include dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia.
Having a learning difficulty does not usually mean that you are eligible for an annual Learning Disability Health Check. However, you can still ask us for reasonable adjustments and support to help you access healthcare.