There is a developing understanding of the difficulties faced by people with learning disabilities when they want to access health services. One of the projects that the NHS set in motion to address this was the NHS Better Metrics scheme which developed measures of performance to be used for local service quality improvement. The scheme included 12 metrics on health equity and access for people with learning disabilities.

Researchers from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities worked with Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), partner organisations and people with disabilities to test the full set of learning disability metrics. Key findings from the project related to the issue of information, both the lack of accessible, easy read materials for people with learning disabilities and the information systems used by doctors to find and disseminate information.

The project found that GPs in particular regularly used the PRODIGY system to download information for themselves and also for their patients to take away as printed material. As a result, the project team developed a range of materials about health care issues relating to people with learning disabilities to add to the PRODIGY system.  The PRODIGY process is rigorous and evidence- based, checking quality of materials before they are published.

The outcome of the project is a series of health care leaflets on the PRODIGY system, accessible to anybody over the internet, developed by ‘Easyhealth’ and the NHS ‘Clinical Knowledge Summaries’  team about some common health problems.

You can read further information about the Better Metrics project here http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/our-work/health-well-being/better-health-better-metrics/

You can visit the PRODIY site and download the healthcare leaflets here http://prodigy.clarity.co.uk/information_for_patients/leaflets_by_publisher/easyhealth_leaflets