Under the Equality Act 2010, Health and Social Care organisations have a duty to make changes in their approach or provision, called reasonable adjustments, to ensure that services are as accessible to people with disabilities as they are for everyone else. This duty aims to address the recognition that people with disabilities may have equal access to care and services, but without specific adjustments being made, that access may not be equitable.
NHS England has created the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag in the NHS Spine to enable health professionals to record, share and view details of Reasonable Adjustments across the NHS, wherever the patient is treated. The flag indicates that Reasonable Adjustments are required for an individual and optionally includes details of any significant impairments, underlying conditions and key adjustments that should be considered.
The flag aims to enable:
- Clear identification of all patients for whom Reasonable Adjustments may be required.
- Identification of patients with impairments including learning disability or autism.
- Identification and sharing of key adjustments that will help a care episode go well or happen at all.
- Consistent visibility and structure of the information – Wherever a patient is treated in health and social care.
Examples of reasonable adjustments:
|
Appointments |
Quiet place to wait |
Help to check in at an appointment |
Easy Read Information |
|
A patient may need a longer appointment to understand the information given to them |
The waiting room may be too noisy or distracting and a patient may need a quiet place to wait. Could they wait in the car? |
A patient may need a member of staff to check them into their appointment |
Providing appointment letters in easy read can support patients to understand why they have been asked to attend their appointments |
People with a learning disability often have poorer physical and mental health than other people. This does not need to be the case.
It is important that everyone over the age of 14 who is on their doctor's learning disability register has an annual health check.
Please click the link below to find out about annual health checks.
If your child has a learning disability, it is important they get the right help and support so they can live their best life. Organisations like the NHS are here to help.
If your child is on the Learning Disability Register, they will be able to get extra health support from your Doctor (GP) Practice.
Click the link below to find out more about the Learning Disability Register.
