Emily Wheelhouse

A sister in our A&E has spearheaded the launch of a network of learning disability champions to support patients. Rachelle McCarthy said: “I have a son with a learning disability and so I consider how he and his peers could struggle in a healthcare setting in a few years, if they have no one to advocate for them,. “I wanted to find a way to allow us to deliver a more personalised, compassionate and inclusive healthcare experience.” According to the National Office for Statistics (ONS) on average, women with a learning disability die 23 years younger than women in the general population; in men it is 20 years. Barriers for this patient group including clinicians not recognising the learning disability, or not understanding how a disability might present, a lack of a formal carer to advocate for the patient, and even just the patient walking out of ED because they are overwhelmed with the noise, busyness, and unfamiliarity. Rachelle joined forces with Sam Souter Learning, Disability Nurse Specialist, and Emily Wheelhouse, Assistant Speech and Language Therapist – in the Acute Learning Disability Liaison Team. They are employed by Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust but based at QMC. So far, 20 learning disability champions have been recruited in ED, and trained in different communication approaches, de-escalation techniques, advocate skills, and active listening. Sam said: “The team recognises that having support for such patients at the front door is vital for ensuring optimum care throughout the hospital.” Emily added: “The training sessions focus on awareness, reasonable adjustments, and tackling health inequalities. It has been designed with a communication focus, showcasing the importance of adapting our communication to give patients with a learning disability the best access to physical healthcare.” The team is working with Nottingham Hospitals Charity to create emergency grab-bags – with water bottles, fidget toys, ear defenders, etc – to help people cope with the anxiety and overstimulation caused by the hospital environment. Nigel Gregory, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “The team’s work is making a real difference, ensuring compassionate and inclusive care for every patient." The champions can be identified by a traffic light badge. Rachelle said: “We have barely scratched the surface; there is so much more we could be doing to make sure this patient group have a better experience in our hospitals and also, improve outcomes.”