Reasonable adjustments - all you need to know
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.
These could be things like:
- making sure there is wheelchair access in hospitals
- providing easy read appointment letters
- giving someone a priority appointment if they find it difficult waiting in their GP surgery or hospital
- longer appointments if someone needs more time with a doctor or nurse to make sure they understand the information they are given
Watch this film about Kareem and his mum Fazilla’s experience of reasonable adjustments and the difference it makes to them when they are offered.
The next film below will help you to find out how a simple reasonable adjustment can make a big difference to a person’s experience of quality and access to care.
How you can help make sure these reasonable adjustments are made
If you support someone with a learning disability please make sure they have good access to healthcare by supporting them to:
- be on the GP learning disability register
- ask their GP practice for additional information adding to their summary care record
- have the right health checks, screening and immunisations
- carry out the actions in their health action plan
Summary care records
Another way to make sure you get the reasonable adjustments you need is by adding additional information to your summary care record.
A summary care record is a way of telling health and care staff important information about a person.
Read this easy read photo story about adding additional information to your summary care record.
It tells staff caring for someone about their medicines and allergies. This means they can look after the person if they are not at their usual doctor’s surgery.
For people with a learning disability, autism or both a doctor might ask if they can add some additional information to the summary care record. This will mean if a person needs treatment by other services like emergency or urgent care they will have more information about them.
More information about the summary care record, including an easy read leaflet, is available on the NHS Digital website.
