Julie Foster examines the current literature to discover the effectiveness of the liaison nurse role and to look for evidence to inform the development of learning disability liaison nurse roles in acute healthcare settings

Current evidence suggests that the overall level of health care for people with learning disabilities in the UK is poorer than that of the rest of the population (Department of Health (DH) 1998), and that they are much more likely to use acute services on an unplanned basis (DH 2001). Mencap’s Health for All report (Mencap 1998) highlights the fact that people with learning disabilities experience difficulties during admission to general hospitals. Both paid and unpaid carers report problems over the level of support they are expected to provide for those receiving treatment. The problems range from communication issues, to the lack of staff training regarding the special needs of people with learning disabilities in hospital, and the perceived negative attitudes of staff (Mencap 1998).