At South Western Ambulance Service we have a Learning Disabilities and Vulnerabilities lead - Hannah Welch.
The Learning Disabilities and Vulnerabilities lead helps South Western Ambulance Service work with people with Learning Disabilities and Autistic people.
The plan has been developed with people with lived experience.
Here is a video introducing the plan with the Cornwall CHAMPS team who helped develop it -
People have told us that they do not know they can ask for reasonable adjustments from our service.
An important part of our Learning Disabilities and Autism plan is to make sure we are providing an accessible service, by making reasonable adjustments.
When you call us or if we come out to see you, if you feel able to please let us know if you have a Learning Disability or are autistic and need any reasonable adjustments.
We have created some easy read information about our service -
Here you can find an easy read leaflet about NHS 111
https://www.mencap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-05/2025.02.07_NHS-111_Easy-Read-Leaflet_Web.pdf
You can find lots of helpful easy read information for free on these websites:
https://www.easyhealth.org.uk/pages/easy-read-health-leaflets-and-films
Health passports
Health passports are really useful documents for people with learning disabilities and autistic people, that tells health staff about a persons needs.
If an ambulance comes out to see you, you can give your hospital passport to the ambulance staff so they know how best to help you.
Not all health passports look the same.
You can look online for a health passport made in your area, or speak to your local learning disabilities or autism service.
Health passports can sometimes have other names, like hospital passport or health and care passport.
Examples of health passports:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/my-health-passport
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/health-and-care-passports/
https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/hospital-passports/
CareLeD tool
Keele University has co produced a tool with people with Learning Disabilities to support people with Learning Disabilities to access urgent and emergency services.
https://www.keele.ac.uk/ucan/careledtool/
Restore 2
Restore 2 is a useful resource for care and nursing homes identify early soft signs of deterioration
https://healthinnovationwessex.org.uk/projects/329/restore2
Annual health Check
Everyone with a registered Learning Disability who is aged 14 and over is entitled to a free annual health check at their GP surgery.
Annual health checks are really important to make sure you stay well.
You can find more information here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/learning-disabilities/annual-health-checks/
If you have a Learning Disability, are Autistic, or a carer we would like to hear from you, please complete the easy read form - https://forms.office.com/e/7My6BZL1Xw
or you can email ldandautism@swast.nhs.uk
The Learning Disabilities and Vulnerabilities lead is able to support with the development of care plans and alerts for patients that have a learning disability and/ or are autistic, who may require additional support accessing the ambulance service.
If you would like to discuss a patient please email ldandautism@swast.nhs.uk