HEALTH SCREENING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEARNING DISABILITIES

Since the late 1980s, there have been numerous reports highlighting unmet health needs for people who have learning disabilities (Howells 1986). There is also evidence of the poor uptake of screening services nationally (Whitfi eld et al. 1996). Women who have learning disabilities are less likely to undergo cervical smear tests than the general population – 19 compared with 77 per cent (Djuretic et al. 1999) – and, despite a 90 per cent attendance rate at mammography clinics, are less likely to engage in breast examinations or receive invitations to mammography than the general population (Davies & Duff 2001). Many stereotypical reasons exist to back the theory, such as the assumption that:

• the women are not engaging in intimate intercourse;

• the tests would be too distressing;

• the person would not understand what was happening.

Unfortunately, the above remarks are too often given when care workers, nurses and relatives ask for the reasons why the person whom they support and care for is not given the same screening rights as any other person in the United Kingdom.

To date, there is no screening test for testicular cancer but men above the age of 18 years should be encouraged to self-examine, although with figures of between 3 per cent in family care and 6 per cent in formal care settings who have undertaken testicular examinations, it probably highlights the difficulties that carers have about such an intimate procedure.

Health Minister Rosie Winterton announced that from April 2006, a national bowel cancer screening program would be phased in. Men and women aged 60–69 years will be screened every two years. With an ageing population in learning disabilities, it is also vital that people are accessing this screening program in the months to come.

Many individuals who have learning disabilities attend their GP surgeries less often than the general population, with many individuals relying on others to observe changes in their health or behaviors and make appointments accordingly. Many surgeries are often unaware of any additional support needs that individuals may have in order to read the invitations, discuss what the screening is for and understand personal responsibilities for health care, with the onus being placed on carers to provide such information. This often results in many people not attending appointments compared with the general population.

Since the publication of Valuing People (Department of Health 2001a), many primary healthcare and specialist trusts have introduced named health facilitators to meet the government’s objective of enabling mainstream ser vices to meet the general and specialist health needs of people who have learning disabilities. Health facilitation and Health Action Plans (HAPs) (Department of Health 2002a, 2002b) are just two initiatives that could improve the care of people who have learning disabilities in mainstream set tings. This will be discussed in more detail in a later section. Other local initiatives include learning disability nurses placed within general hospitals to provide the localized support for both the individual and the medical team from admission to discharge. Learning disability nurses completing health visitor qualifications are being placed with strategic health promotion roles within health authorities.

All of these initiatives require extra funding; the government announced in February 2005 that it would be providing £41 million for primary care trusts to develop their services for people who have learning disabilities. Stephen Ladyman said:

‘I am very pleased to announce that funding for the Learning Disabilities Development Fund has almost doubled for the coming year. These funds are intended to support the implementation of the Government white paper “Valuing People”, which sets out a wide-ranging program of action to improve services for people with learning disabilities based on four key principles – rights, independence, choice and inclusion.’

Part of that inclusion is for individuals to understand their rights to healthcare provision such as health screening. Many women who have learning disabilities attend screening tests and do not understand the purpose of the test (Broughton & Thomson 2000). Surely, personal inclusion in healthcare has to consider informed consent with regard to any procedures being carried out. The Department of Health has issued a number of guidance documents to assist in the process of seeking consent from people who have learning disabilities (Department of Health 2001b). Unfortunately, people’s reluctance to engage in the screening process is often interpreted as a personal choice or refusal and therefore no further support is given to the individual. With the advent of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, coming into force in 2007, the Act introduces a ‘new criminal offence of ill treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity. A person found guilty of such an offence may be liable to imprisonment for a term of up to five years’. This may ‘force’ services to reconsider their interpretation of someone’s reluctance and find more appropriate ways of providing information to individuals, such as picture booklets (NHS Cancer Screening Programs 2000a, 2000b), videos, role play sessions and de-sensitization sessions.

Many people can make informed choices given the right support and information but this takes time and effort from all sides. Health screening requires us all to provide that time and effort if people who have learning disabilities are to be afforded the same rights to health care as the general population.

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

قسم شؤون المعارف يحصي منجزاته العلمية لعام 2025

شعبة الخطابة الحسينية النسوية تقيم برنامج مراقي العلا التوعوي لطالبات مدارس كربلاء

معهد القرآن الكريم النسوي يقيم مجلس عزاء بذكرى وفاة السيدة زينب (عليها السلام)

قسم الشؤون الفكرية يقدم محاضرة توعوية لمجموعة من طلبة مدارس بغداد

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

طبيب يكشف أفضل مكمل غذائي لتحسين المزاج ودعم الصحة النفسية

دراسة جديدة تكشف أضرار الأطعمة الجاهزة على القلب ؟

6 أطعمة طبيعية تهدئ الزكام دون أدوية.. تعرف عليهم

ماذا يحدث لأعراض الزكام عند تناول الثوم بانتظام؟

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

ابتكار ثوري في بطاريات السيارات الكهربائية.. سعة أعلى 4 مرات

ماذا يحدث لجسمك عند شرب الماء الساخن يوميا؟

7 فوائد "خفية" لشرب شاي الكركديه كل يوم

دراسة تكشف قدرة الحيتان على سماع الأصوات منخفضة وعالية التردد من مسافة بعيدة

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

Parents with Learning Disabilities CONCLUSION

PROVISION OF SUPPORT

CARING FOR CHILDREN

EUGENICS AND ETHICAL ISSUES

PARENTING

DISCRIMINATION AND DIVERSITY

THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Parents with Learning Disabilities

Legislation and Learning Disabilities CONCLUSION

LEGAL SAFEGUARDS

MENTAL CAPACITY ACT 2005

THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT 1998