Everybody’s life has worth – Getting it right in hospital for people with an intellectual disability and reducing clinical risks

These words ring true today in relation to people with an intellectual disability, and reducing clinical risks associated with care whilst in an acute hospital setting. Clinicians must do what is necessary, and thereby doing what is required for all people being mindful of the need to adapt services, and the care they provide to ensure reasonable adjustments are made to enable more positive outcomes and experiences. This article addresses these, and other issues by using examples of a hospital passport, assessing the mental capacity of a person, and how to improve care provided and reduce clinical risks for people with intellectual disability. Hospitals and Accident and Emergency departments in particular are frenetic environments which are loud, bizarre and frightening for many people. For people with intellectual (learning) disabilities it can seem a very petrifying environment within which to make sense of what is happening and to navigate. These same feelings often present for doctors and nurses when seeking to assess, treat and ensure safe reasonable care takes place for people with intellectual disabilities. Too frequently the training undertaken by clinical staff has not prepared them for working with people with intellectual disabilities in these high-pressure environments. This is particularly pertinent to health staff in general healthcare where staff in those settings have: