Within this guide, you will find a range of topics on how to support people with learning disabilities to access high-quality health care and regular screening across the UK.  

• Nursing guide for supporting people with learning disabilities
• What is a learning disability? 
• About this resource

It is widely reported that people with a learning disability experience significant health inequality, including premature and avoidable mortality.

• Health inequalities for people with learning disabilities
• Promoting health equality for all
• Annual health checks

Adults with intellectual disabilities face numerous barriers to managing long-term conditions.

• Primary care health checks for people with learning disabilities
• UK health strategies

People with learning disabilities should expect the same respect and protection of their human rights as anybody else, although this does not always happen.  

• Human rights and reasonable adjustments
• Reasonable adjustments for health and social care providers
• Equal access to health and care services
• Individualised support and accountability
• Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag
• Visiting the doctor or hospital when you have a learning disability

Mental health problems for people with learning disabilities are often overlooked and can be hard to diagnose. For this reason, there is a lack of clarity about how common mental health problems are for people with learning disabilities. 

• Mental health and learning disabilities

Mental capacity is defined as one’s ability to make informed decisions based on information provided and communicate the decision made to others. 

• Mental capacity
• Best Interest Decisions

Some people with learning disabilities may display behaviours that are difficult to interpret or manage.

• Positive behaviour support
• What Is PBS?
• Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA)
• Developing a PBS Plan

Restrictive practice is sometimes referred to as ‘restrictive interventions’. This is when someone is made to do something they don’t want to do or when someone is stopped from doing something they want to do.  

• Restrictive interventions
• Useful resources

In England, respiratory disease and circulatory diseases are the most common immediate cause of death among people with learning disabilities.

• Long-term condition management
• Further information

Relationships, sex and the use of contraception for people with learning disabilities remains a sensitive and often divisive topic.

• Contraception

STOMP is a national project, backed by the RCN, and involving many different organisations which are helping to stop the overuse of psychotropic medicines. 

• Stopping the over-medication of people with a learning disability autism or both

Community learning disability services vary across countries in the way in which they are delivered, but all areas should have access to learning disability specialists working within health and/or social care.

• Learning disability teams and support
• Who is part of the team?
• How the team supports people

The criminal justice system will often try to divert people with learning disabilities away from the criminal justice system. This is to reflect that often crimes are not committed with criminal intent and health and social care services will be more beneficial than courts and prisons in reducing the risk of reoffending.  

• People with learning disabilities and criminal justice health