Guest Author – Dr Mark Brookes MBE
Dr Mark Brookes MBE has worked with Dimensions for 11 years.
Mark has a learning disability and a keen interest in ensuring people with learning disabilities are safe and healthy, while remaining independent. He often speaks publicly about access to primary healthcare, and is an advocate for people with learning disabilities and autism being treated equally.
Mark was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent for his work on Hate Crime, a huge accolade that has since been followed by an MBE, a place of the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list and membership of the Learning Disability Leaders List run by Dimensions in association with VODG and Learning Disability England.
While visiting the GP practice is a day-to-day task for most people, it’s important to consider that many people with learning disabilities find visiting the doctor very difficult. People who work in doctors’ surgeries, including receptionists, nurses and of course GPs, can benefit from training in how to support those with additional needs, so that everyone feels safe and supported.
It’s also important that this training is designed with input from people, like me, who have experience of living with learning disabilities. This is why I’m so pleased to have been involved in the #MyGPandMe training.
Existing health inequality
Worryingly, health inequalities do exist for people with learning disabilities, making this training all the more essential. On average, those with learning disabilities die 25 years earlier than those without a disability.[1] Furthermore, a UK’s Learning Disability Mortality Review in 2020 highlighted the seriousness of the situation; in 42% of deaths of people with a learning disability, reviewers felt that the care they’d received didn’t meet good practice standards.[2]
Going to the doctor can cause real anxiety for someone with a learning disability, possibly preventing them from seeking the healthcare they need. In fact, recent research from Dimensions found that 33% of disabled people felt stressed going to see the GP and 43% felt worried. We need to address this issue urgently.
Reasonable adjustments
Small changes can often make a big difference. For example, an appointment that’s 20 minutes long rather than 10 minutes can help people with learning disabilities feel much more relaxed.
Another good adjustment applies to waiting rooms, which can be noisy and lack privacy, making people more anxious. Having a separate space that’s less crowded can help people feel less stressed before going into their appointment.
It’s encouraging that so many GPs have shown interest in learning about these kinds of changes. Recent Dimensions research found that 98% of GPs believed they’d benefit from training led by someone with a learning disability. And those with learning disabilities would also benefit because doctors’ surgeries would know how to make them feel more at ease.
Of course, change has to come from surgeries, not just GPs themselves. In fact, reasonable adjustments can be made by any staff member in a healthcare environment, so I’m really pleased that the #MyGPandMe training is freely available to all healthcare professionals.
Listening to experience
Any resources that tackle health inequality should include input from people with learning disabilities. I was very glad to help develop the #MyGPandMe training, talking about my past experiences in GP surgeries and explaining how they could have been made more accessible. I’m sure many of my peers feel the same way.
We should be proud of programmes like this because it means that people with learning disabilities are making our voices heard. As we at Dimensions like to say, “Nothing about me without me.”
I’d encourage all healthcare professionals to take the #MyGPandMe training. Reasonable adjustments are simple to put in place and make a big difference to the experiences of people with learning disabilities. It’s vital that our stories are valued.
Dimensions’ #MyGPandMe training programme for healthcare professionals can be accessed in the Practice Index HUB for free. More details can be found here.
Dr Mark Brookes MBE
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