Sensory grab bags have been introduced at Nottingham's busy Emergency Department @nottmhospitals to improve the experience of patients with learning disabilities, after @NUH_Ldlt patient Adam fed back on his positive experience at another hospital.

Not long to go now... ED staff are getting prepped for next weeks roll out of the new resources. Huge thank you to @NUHCharity for their help with the funding. Check back with us Monday to find out more @nottmhospitals @NottsHealthcare @teamEDnuh

Faithful to the end #AlexanderDragonetti. Thank you to everyone who has donated to Mencap after hearing Alexander’s story. Your support will enable us to break down the barriers people with a learning disability face every day 🙏🏻 These donations are needed now more than ever.

@EmilyASLT @NUH_Ldlt a pleasure 2 work 2gether on #FrontDoor supporting the voice of patient 2 ensure she is eating & drinking safely & getting support she needs for going home. Yr communication friendly #IDDSI resources were brilliant! #FRONTDOORSLT @NUHMedicine @b3_amu @b3_unit

Friday was our annual festive day! Team meeting, secret santa exchange and a trip to the Christmas market! Missing our lovely Carolyn but we were joined a very special guest! 🎄✨

We're recruiting an Acute Liaison Nurse - Learning Disabilities to work within @nottmhospitals. The post holder will provide an assessment and advisory service to all involved with supporting patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A sister in our A&E has spearheaded the launch of a network of learning disability champions to support patients. Rachelle McCarthy said: “I have a son with a learning disability and so I consider how he and his peers could struggle in a healthcare setting in a few years, if they have no one to advocate for them,. “I wanted to find a way to allow us to deliver a more personalised, compassionate and inclusive healthcare experience.” According to the National Office for Statistics (ONS) on average, women with a learning disability die 23 years younger than women in the general population; in men it is 20 years. Barriers for this patient group including clinicians not recognising the learning disability, or not understanding how a disability might present, a lack of a formal carer to advocate for the patient, and even just the patient walking out of ED because they are overwhelmed with the noise, busyness, and unfamiliarity. Rachelle joined forces with Sam Souter Learning, Disability Nurse Specialist, and Emily Wheelhouse, Assistant Speech and Language Therapist – in the Acute Learning Disability Liaison Team. They are employed by Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust but based at QMC. So far, 20 learning disability champions have been recruited in ED, and trained in different communication approaches, de-escalation techniques, advocate skills, and active listening. Sam said: “The team recognises that having support for such patients at the front door is vital for ensuring optimum care throughout the hospital.” Emily added: “The training sessions focus on awareness, reasonable adjustments, and tackling health inequalities. It has been designed with a communication focus, showcasing the importance of adapting our communication to give patients with a learning disability the best access to physical healthcare.” The team is working with Nottingham Hospitals Charity to create emergency grab-bags – with water bottles, fidget toys, ear defenders, etc – to help people cope with the anxiety and overstimulation caused by the hospital environment. Nigel Gregory, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said: “The team’s work is making a real difference, ensuring compassionate and inclusive care for every patient." The champions can be identified by a traffic light badge. Rachelle said: “We have barely scratched the surface; there is so much more we could be doing to make sure this patient group have a better experience in our hospitals and also, improve outcomes.”

It’s #LearningDisabilityWeek day 4! Today is all about Communication 🗣️ Visual Resources are a HUGE part of our hospital role, making physical healthcare accessible to patients with a learning disability. See below some examples! #DoYouSeeMe

The team have been working with @teamEDnuh and Rach (ED Sister) on implementing ‘Learning Disability Champions’ into the Emergency Department. 2 training sessions completed so far and each champion will be wearing a pin badge to showcase their role to patients and staff 👏🏻