People with learning disabilities often have difficulty in recognising illness, communicating their needs and using health services. Regular health checks can detect treatable illnesses and help prevent more serious ones, as well as familiarising the young person with the GP practice which they may use throughout their adult life.
Annual health checks are being offered to everyone registered with a confirmed learning disability from the age of 14+. Local NHS services are working closely together to identify young people that will be eligible for this service at their local GP practice. For families and young people who would like to access this service, please speak to your GP.
You can find more information about the annual health check for people with learning disabilities, what the GP Learning Disability Register is, who should be on the register and the benefits of being on the register at annual health checks | Contact.
Further information about annual health checks for people with learning disabilities is available in a downloadable guide for parent and carers in Bromley.
- Do not assume that your GP will have automatically registered your young person on the learning disability register.
- If your young person has a learning disability you will need to make sure that this is flagged on their electronic record with their GP.
- Contact them now to make sure that your young people receive the best possible health care now and in the future.
Please note that this does not automatically extend eligibility for adult LD (Social Care) services at age 18 +
Bromley has launched a new questionnaire tool to help families and young people who may have a learning disability think about whether they might be eligible for the learning disability annual health check. The completed questionnaire can be shared with GPs to support decisions about accessing the health check.
Download the learning disability health check tool.
Mencap's easy read guide about annual health checks explains
- what a health check is
- how to get a health check
- how to find out more information about health checks
If you have any questions or queries about the learning disability annual health check please discuss with the GP practice. Should there be any further concerns please raise with the practice manager. If your query remains unresolved you can contact the Clinical Commissioning Group in Bromley by email to bromley.contactus@selondonics.nhs.uk.
Medication review
You may also want to use the health check appointment to ask the GP for a review of any medication your young person is taking. You can of course discuss any concerns you have around medication at any other appointments you may have and do not need to wait until the Annual Health check to have this conversation.
Find out more about Supporting Treatment and Appropriate Medication in Paediatrics (STAMP)
Vaccinations and immunisations
It is important to make sure your child has their routine vaccinations at the right age, to protect them as early as possible and minimise the risk of infection. Childhood vaccinations are provided free by the NHS to all children. For more information see the NHS vaccination timetable.