Background Personal Health budgets were introduced to enable people with long term conditions and disabilities to have greater choice, flexibility and control over the health care and support they receive. This month (April 2014), people who are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHS CHC) will have the right to ask for a personal health budget. [read the full story…]
This guidance has been published and should be read alongside the Commissioning Policy A05 Complex and Specialised Obesity Surgery Services of the NHS Commissioning Board April 2013. It has been sponsored by the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society, and is supported by a number of relevant professional bodies, including the Association of UK Dietitians [read the full story…]
Background Communication is a fundamental right, but as the BILD Communication factsheet states, communication difficulties affect anywhere between 50% and 90% of people with learning disabilities. This factsheet also suggests that about 20% of people with learning disabilities may have no verbal communication skills but that they do demonstrate a will to communicate, and show [read the full story…]
Psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, are often conceptualised as arising from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental influences (Tandon 2008). The impact of social influences on the risk of psychotic experience is undeniable. Recent reviews of this topic have called for a focus on maternal wellbeing as a means of primary prevention for mental [read the full story…]
Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) were introduced in the UK in the last revisions of the Mental Health Act. They are highly controversial, and unpopular amongst the mental health community. They clearly impact on an individual’s Human Rights. Interestingly, they cannot enforce a treatment but can require an individual to return to hospital or a place of treatment. [read the full story…]
Background There are relatively few randomised controlled trials in interventions to support people with learning disabilities. There are often significant difficulties in design in multi-element real-life interventions, along with a range of ethical issues to consider. The researchers in this Turkish study however were keen to use the methodology to look at responsive teaching for [read the full story…]
Background The recent events at Winterbourne View refocused attention on abuse of people with learning disabilities, and there is an acceptance of the need for system wide change as a result of the enquiries that followed the uncovering of these events. That change has posited the need to close Winterbourne View type services and help [read the full story…]
Current health and social care policies determine that people who use services should have choice and control over their care and support. This is particularly important for people with mental health problems who are managing their mental health and designing support in preventative ways to avoid crisis. One way for mental health service practitioners to [read the full story…]
Last year, we posted a guest blog by Pauline Heslop, a researcher at the Norah Fry Research Centre, who set out the alarming findings of a confidential enquiry into premature deaths of people with learning disabilities. The enquiry found that people with learning disabilities die significantly younger in England and Wales than people without learning [read the full story…]
Some of the lady Elves in the forest have been sharing their concerns about the menopause, and whilst keeping an eye out for hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings; what other changes will the menopause will bring?! Well, Freeman and colleagues have some good news and bad news for us. In November 2013, JAMA [read the full story…]
