People with learning disabilities need a sensitive response when they access mainstream healthcare. Anne-Marie Glasby describes how the Birmingham Acute Hospital Liaison Project is helping to improve the skills and confidence of hospital-based staff

The Valuing People White Paper emphasised the importance of people with learning disabilities having equal access to mainstream welfare services (DoH 2001). It noted: ‘We will ensure that people with learning disabilities, including those from minority ethnic communities, have the same right of access to mainstream health services as the rest of the population.’ It added later: ‘We can no longer tolerate services which leave people isolated and marginalised.’