Who is this?

We know that coming to the hospital can be a worrying time for anyone but for people with learning disabilities or who are autistic and their carers it may be more worrying. This is because they may need extra information and support to make their hospital experience better.

Homerton Hospital wants to improve their services for patients with learning disabilities and/or autism and has a Lead Practitioner for Learning Disabilities and Autism. This is a specialist who helps staff support you if you have a learning disability or are autistic while you are in hospital.

If you have a learning disability or you are autistic and you are being referred to Homerton hospital by your doctor (GP), you can ask to meet with the Lead Practitioner.

It is important that they meet you and your carer before or as soon as possible after you arrive at the hospital. This is so they can find out as much as possible about you and understand the help you may need while you are in hospital.

What do they do?

The Lead Practitioner for Learning Disabilities and Autism can help with:

• Planning admissions
• Check reasonable adjustments are put in place
• Ensure learning disability and autism alerts are used
• Promote use of Hospital Passports
• Communication so it is accessible
• Liaison with community services
• Concerns around capacity
• Support and advice for family and carers
• Training hospital staff to help them understand and meet your needs

Hospital staff can contact the Lead Practitioner if you are in hospital and haven’t met with them yet OR if you have to visit A&E. You can request that they do this if they have not suggested it. 

What can you do to get ready if you need to go into hospital?

If you know you are going into hospital soon there are some things you can do to help yourself feel ready. You can:

• talk through what might happen with family, friends or a health professional
• read through any information the hospital or doctor has given you – you might need someone to help you with this
• have a hospital passport ready – this will help you tell the hospital staff what reasonable adjustments you need
• make sure the hospital know what reasonable adjustments you will need before you go there

What is a hospital passport?

A hospital passport is a document about you and your health needs.
You can find an example of one here.

It also has other useful information, such as your interests, likes, dislikes, how you communicate and any reasonable adjustments that you might need.

If you are coming into hospital and don’t already have a hospital passport the Lead Practitioner for Learning Disabilities and Autism can help you complete one.

Reasonable adjustments. What can we do if you need to go in to hospital?

The NHS has to make it as easy for disabled people to use health services as it is for people who are not disabled. This is called making reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments tell people who will look after you in hospital about the support you need.

Some examples of reasonable adjustments are having:

• Having a carer stay in hospital overnight with you
• Having information in easy read or plain English
• Having a longer appointment
• Having time to meet your learning disability nurse before you go into hospital
• Being given more time and support to make sure you understand what you need to at the hospital
• If waiting is difficult for you they may be able to help you be seen sooner