Carer support for people with learning disabilities attending annual health checks in UK primary care: the supporter-HC study

Vennik, Jane (2025) Carer support for people with learning disabilities attending annual health checks in UK primary care: the supporter-HC study. Society for Academic Primary Care South West Conference 2025 (SW SAPC 2025), , Oxford, United Kingdom. 31 Mar - 01 Apr 2025.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Problem: people with learning disabilities experience significant health inequalities: they have poorer physical and mental health and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. Annual health checks are recommended internationally to identify unmet health needs, monitor ongoing health problems, promote health and well-being, and are available to all patients on GP practices intellectual disability registers. However, these checks vary between GP surgeries, and people with learning disabilities report mixed experiences. Carers often accompany people to appointments, but they can be unsure of their role and how they should support people to understand, interpret and implement their health plan and manage their health afterwards. The aim of this work is to explore out how professional/paid and family carers support people with learning disabilities to attend their annual health check, to understand and implement their health plan, and to manage their health afterwards.

Approach: qualitative semi-structured telephone/online interviews will be conducted with a purposeful sample of 20 professional and family carers, varied according to age, gender, ethnicity and carer role and experience. Participants will be recruited through community groups, charities, social media, and through word of mouth.

Interviews will explore carers’ experiences of i) supporting people with learning disabilities to plan, prepare for and attend their annual health check, ii) facilitating communication and understanding during the health check, iii) how health action plans are discussed, communication and agreed, and iv) supporting implementation of health action plans and helping people to better manage their health in their daily lives.

Findings: the study has ethical approval and recruitment is underway. Study progress and initial findings will be presented.

Consequences: alongside evidence from qualitative interviews with people with learning disabilities and primary care professionals, these findings will be used to develop recommendations for GP practice staff and carers to support people with learning disabilities to understand the role and importance of their annual health check, and how best to implement their health plans in their daily lives.

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