The Equality Act (2010) says that public organisations, including hospitals, must make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

Examples of adjustments we can offer include:

• Familiarisation visits to wards or departments before appointments
• Open visiting for carers or family members
• Using alternative entrances or exits if needed
• Changes to the environment to support sensory needs (for example, quieter waiting areas or dimmed lighting)
• Using your preferred communication style
• Arranging extra support during your hospital stay
• Sharing your Hospital Passport with staff
• Offering longer or more flexible appointment times
• Providing Easy Read information

This list is not exhaustive. Adjustments are often personalised and based on what works best for you.

Health Passports

We use Health Passports in adult services. These help staff understand how to support you and include important information, especially at times when you may find it difficult to communicate.

We encourage all patients to have a Health Passport. If you already have one from another hospital or from children's services, we can help make sure it is up to date. Please take a look and see if a Health Passport would be helpful for your care.  you can find a learning disability passport here or an autism health passport here.