Building knowledge, confidence and healthier lives through accessible health information
We worked with people with learning disabilities to explore experiences of Annual Health Checks and raise awareness of the importance of looking after your health.
Through consultation with dozens of residents across Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster, participants shared a range of experiences. While many people reported positive experiences, the findings highlighted that some participants couldn’t recall key elements of their health check, including discussions around vaccinations, cancer screening and Health Action Plans. The feedback also suggested that accessible information is not consistently provided, with only a small number of participants reporting that they had received a Health Action Plan in an Easy Read format.
Despite these challenges, many people spoke positively about the benefits of Annual Health Checks.
Annual Health Checks are like a ‘full body check’ and if doctors find any problems, they can treat it quickly.
Local resident
The consultation highlighted several areas where participants felt services could be improved, including:
- Providing appointment letters in Easy Read;
- Accessible Health Action Plans which are reviewed regularly;
- People with learning disabilities should be proactively informed if they are eligible for an Annual Health Check;
- Training for staff on how to make reasonable adjustments;
- Clearer information on waiting times to help reduce anxiety around appointments.
This all helps reinforce the importance of making sure that people understand not only what happens during an Annual Health Check, but also the actions they can take afterwards to maintain their health and wellbeing. The video below is designed to help explain this in a clear and accessible way, helping people feel more confident when attending appointments about their health.
Understanding Annual Health Checks
In this video, we hear from Patrick as he shares more about what an Annual Health Check is and how surgeries can best advise and communicate this to people with learning disabilities.