Annual health checks for people with learning disabilities have been a key part of NHS plans to improve health and reduce premature mortality since 2008. Annual health checks are part of an Enhanced Service, designed to encourage practices to identify all patients aged 14 and over with learning disabilities, to maintain a learning disabilities ‘health check’ register and offer them an annual health check, which includes producing a health check action plan.
This brief audit tool is an update of one published by the Learning Disabilities Observatory (then known as IHaL) in 2011. It is designed to support practices, primary care liaison staff, health facilitators and others to improve the uptake and quality of annual health checks and thereby reduce the health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities.
The audit tool, based on six simple questions, can be used by GP practices and those providing support to GP practices to:
- identify good practice and encourage services to improve their practice further
- establish whether health checks and primary care services are provided consistently across a geographical area
- monitor progress
- embed key ‘reasonable adjustments’ within primary care
On the right-hand side of this page you will find links to download the document, which includes the rationale for the criteria used in the audit tool and suggested evidence that auditors may find helpful to gauge the performance level for each of the six questions. There is also an easy-read version of this document available to download.