Improving uptake of screening services by people with learning disabilities in the South West

Access to health promotion may be significantly poorer for people with more severe learning disabilities, and people with learning disabilities who do not use learning disability services. Public services have a duty to address health inequalities by putting reasonable adjustments in place. This is a legal duty and is anticipatory, meaning that public sector organisations should plan reasonable adjustments into their services in advance, rather than wait for someone with learning disabilities to try and use them. This applies to the national screening programmes, and there are examples of good practice in local services. However, all the national screening programmes are organised differently, and there are variations in local implementation.

Cornwall Partners in Policymaking commissioned the development of a strategy to improve uptake of screening services.