What is a strategy?...2 What is a strategy? • A strategy is a plan. This plan is for healthcare...
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Transcript of What is a strategy?...2 What is a strategy? • A strategy is a plan. This plan is for healthcare...
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What is a strategy?
• A strategy is a plan. This plan is for healthcare services for people with autism, a learning disability or both in Sussex.
Why do we need the strategy?
• We want everyone to have the same chance to lead healthy, happy lives.
• We know that people with autism, a learning disability or both have worse health problems than other people. Some of the reasons are:
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• Medical jargon and lack of information
• Slow and confusing referrals
• Needing extra time at appointments
• Not enough mental health support
• Having lots of health conditions
• This plan is about what we will do to make sure everyone gets the healthcare they need.
How did we know what to put in the plan?
• We listened to lots of people to find out what the problems are.
• Healthwatch worked with people all over Sussex. People with autism, a learning disability or both told them what needs to change.
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• We also looked at what changes The NHS England Learning Disability and Autism Advisory Group say need to be made.
• This plan will tell you what people told us and what we will do about it.
Early Support
What people told us
• People told us that there are problems getting a diagnosis of autism and other conditions. It is hard to know where to get support and information.
• Waiting lists for assessments are too long. Referrals are confusing.
• There are lots of appointments and different services. This can be overwhelming.
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• Parents and families need more support with behaviour.
• Some staff do not understand autism. This makes using services very hard.
• Children and young people need mental health support right through their lives.
Early Support
What we will do
• Work together with others so that support needs are spotted earlier.
• Make sure that referrals are simple so that people do not get ‘lost’.
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• Bring hearing, sight and dental checks to specialist schools for autistic children and children with a learning disability.
• Work together so that information is clear and easy to find for parents, adults, referrers and other professionals.
• Make sure that each child and young person with autism, a learning disability or both has a named keyworker by 2024.
• Support people and their families before and after diagnosis. Make waiting times shorter.
• Make sure that different teams work together so that mental health is a part of a young person’s transition plan.
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• Train staff so that they understand autism and learning disabilities. This training will be given by people with autism, learning disabilities or both.
Getting the care you need
What people told us
• There are things stopping people getting the support they need to stay well.
• Some people are not getting their annual health checks. This means that illnesses might not be spotted.
• It is hard to get an appointment with mental health services. Waiting times are too long.
• It is hard to get reasonable adjustments for cancer screening and vaccination appointments.
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• People do not get referred to local services that might help their wellbeing.
• Information about healthcare and health conditions is hard to understand.
Getting the care you need
What we will do
• Train healthcare staff so they understand how to support people with autism, a learning disability or both.
• Work with GP surgeries so that more people with learning disabilities are getting Annual Health Checks.
• Find out if annual health checks would be a good idea for people with autism too.
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• Make waiting times for mental health support shorter.
• Make sure that people are referred to local services that will help them stay healthy and happy.
• We will work with people with learning disabilities and/or autism to make bowel screening more accessible.
• Make sure that people are offered information and letters in different formats.
Respect
what people told us
• People want to be treated as a whole person. They do not always feel valued.
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• They want to have the right information to make
their own choices.
• People want to be sure they are on the right medication for the right reasons.
• Healthcare and hospital stays can be scary if staff do not understand a person’s communication style.
• When teams do not have the right information people have to tell their stories over and over. This is upsetting.
• Sometimes it feels like no one is listening. People say they feel ‘fobbed off’.
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Respect
What we will do
• Make sure that people have Hospital Passports
so that staff know about communication needs and other important information.
• Make sure there is easy read information available so that people can understand and make choices.
• Make sure that if people need medication they get the right medication, at the right time for the right reason.
• Add more information onto computer records at the doctors. This will help staff understand what kind of support each person needs.
• Train staff so they understand how to support people and communicate well. This includes looking at a person’s hospital passport.
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Have your say!
• We want to hear what you think! This will help us make the plan work for people with autism and people with learning disabilities.
• What is the most important thing that needs to change about healthcare for you?
• Is there anything we have missed in our plan?
• Follow the Accessible Information Standard. This means people with learning disabilities get: • Extra time in appointments
• Easy read letters and information
• An annual health check
• A health action plan
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• What reasonable adjustments do you need?
Extra time, easy read or maybe something else?
• Send your comments and questions to:
Find Out More
To read the easy read NHS Long Term Plan
https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/easy-read-long-term-plan-v2.pdf
Easy read document by Brighton and Hove Speak Out
