Making reasonable adjustments to cancer services for people with learning disabilities
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Making reasonable adjustments to cancer services for people with learning disabilities

Sandra George Primary care learning disability liaison nurse, learning disability service, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Exeter, England
Rachel Salloway Primary care learning disability liaison nurse, learning disability service, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Exeter, England
Katy Welsh Professional lead nurse, learning disability service, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Exeter, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To recognise the legal requirement to provide equal access to cancer services for people with learning disabilities by making reasonable adjustments

  • To identify approaches that can ensure people with learning disabilities who require cancer services receive equitable and timely care

  • To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)

  • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

People with learning disabilities do not access or engage with proactive cancer screening in line with those without learning disabilities. As a result, they often experience delays in diagnosis and treatment for cancer, leading to suboptimal health outcomes and, in some cases, premature mortality. This article explores how the legal requirement for public bodies to make reasonable adjustments to ensure people with learning disabilities can use their services can have a positive effect on patient outcomes and experience. In cancer services this applies across the patient pathway, from access to screening, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and discharge. The authors use case studies to illustrate how reasonable adjustments can be made for individuals with learning disabilities in accessing cancer care. They also provide readers with the opportunity to reflect on their own practice and explain how to make small, achievable reasonable adjustments in their clinical areas.

Cancer Nursing Practice. doi: 10.7748/cnp.2022.e1806

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

katy.welsh@nhs.net

Conflict of interest

None declared

George S, Salloway R, Welsh K (2022) Making reasonable adjustments to cancer services for people with learning disabilities. Cancer Nursing Practice. doi: 10.7748/cnp.2022.e1806

Published online: 10 January 2022

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