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Learning Disabilities & Annual Health Checks
If your child is age 14 and over and has a learning disability, their GP (doctor) should offer them an annual health check.
This is because people with a learning disability often have poorer health. This can be their physical or mental health, or both. It gives the young person a chance to meet and get used to visiting the nurse or GP. They should have an annual health check even if they are under the care of a hospital paediatrician.
Who does the Annual Health Check?
Either a:
- Nurse
- Doctor, or
- Physician Associate.
They will go through a checklist to try and avoid problems getting missed. They base this on what they need to check for on the individual patient. They will also discuss existing conditions such as asthma, epilepsy or constipation.
Annual Health Checks
NHS website information on Annual Health Checks
It is a time to:
- check healthy eating and weight
- screen for conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- arrange blood tests if needed
- plan vaccinations for flu, tetanus and Covid, both for your child and yourself as a carer
Health and care workers need to make it as easy for disabled people to use services as it is for people who are not disabled. This is called making ‘reasonable adjustments’. For example this might include:
- an appointment time that is easier for the patient to attend with the support of family carers
- at a time of day when the waiting room will be quieter
This video explains what happens at an annual health check.
If your child is eligible for an annual health check but hasn’t been invited
Although most GPs now offer annual health checks, they don’t have to. If you think that your young person should have been invited:
- Contact your GP and ask if your child is included on their learning disability register. This register helps NHS staff to identify patients who may need extra help or support. Anyone with a learning disability can ask to go on it. It is for people of all ages, and you don't need to have a formal diagnosis of learning disability.
- If your child is not on the register, ask the surgery to include them and offer them an annual health check.
- If their GP is unable to offer an annual health check, ask if you can go to a nearby surgery to have it done.
What if you can't get an annual health check for your child?
What is it like to have an annual health check?
