A specialist Health Day event for people living with learning disabilities or autism has been set up at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, giving patients the opportunity to feel more comfortable ahead of their appointments.
‘Our Health Day’, which has been set up by the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Learning Disabilities team, has been developed to help those people who are not sure what to expect when coming into hospital to understand their patient journey when attending the Outpatients department, Emergency department, or when they’re admitted to a ward in one of the Trust’s hospitals.
The event will take place on 20th June at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital from 9.30am-1pm, with a range of free activities and stalls available, including specialist teams where attendees can learn more about services including audiology, oral care, healthy eating, ophthalmology and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Trust therapy dog, Iska, and Health and Wellbeing dog, Bentley, will also be in attendance to give those attending a friendly welcome.
Event organisers, Andrea Hardyman, Matron for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Autism and Dementia and Katie Birch, Learning Disability and Autism Practitioner explains the aim behind the event: “The Our Health Day event has been developed to enable people living with a learning disability or autism to understand the patient journey when attending the outpatients department, coming to the Emergency department or when they’re admitted to a ward in one of the Trust’s hospitals.
“Our Health Day is aimed at informing people about the services and support available across the Trust, so that people know what to expect when they come to hospital and so that our services are more accessible to all. Many people with a learning disability or autism find it helpful to understand the journey, teams or environment, and this helps them when they attend appointments.”
The event will be co-delivered by self-advocates with lived experience from We are People First and will also be supported by local partner organisations including the Lancashire Learning Disability Partnership Board, Healthwatch, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, and the Lancashire Integrated Care Board.
The event, which will take place during Learning Disability Awareness Week (19th – 25th June 2023), promises to be a great event highlighting the support available to people living with a learning disability or autism in Lancashire and South Cumbria, with refreshments and free car parking on offer for those who attend.
For more information or to book a place on the event, please email: LearningDisabilityServiceLTH@lthtr.nhs.uk or ring 01772 523676.
