Empowering Voices: Examining Healthcare Access for Adults with Learning Disabilities and Autistic Adults

This project examines the accessibility of healthcare services for adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults in Southwark. It was driven by evidence that adults with learning disabilities face notably poorer health outcomes compared to adults who do not have a learning disability.

The people we spoke to did not believe there was consistent equity of access to local healthcare services. Our findings reveal widespread barriers to healthcare, particularly within mainstream services including GPs and A&E. The most common obstacles identified include encounters with unkind or impatient staff, communication difficulties with healthcare professionals, and a lack of reasonable adjustments for individual needs.

In response to these findings, we worked with community members to develop a set of recommendations for care providers. We asked providers to respond formally to these recommendations, to demonstrate what they are doing, or what they will do, to improve their services. Responses from providers are linked below, and will be updated as and when we receive further responses.