Under the Accessible Information Standard all providers of NHS services will need to identify and proactively support people with communication difficulties. Possible questions could include:

• Do you have any communication needs?
• Do you need a format other than standard print?
• Do you have any special communication requirements?
• Can you explain what support would be helpful?

It is helpful to explain that this is a routine activity so that people do not feel judged or singled out.

A successful consultation

You might be thinking that consultations with people with a learning disability will be different to other consultations in your practice. Actually, the aim of the consultation in terms of achieving a person-centred approach and a shared agenda is the same.

People with mild learning disabilities will have relatively unimpaired communication, but might need longer to process information.

You will need to think about how you will overcome some challenges to clear communication and think about giving information in a slightly different way. Your existing consultation skills can be applied. Simple basics like smiling, saying hello and introducing yourself by your name and role are just as important. As people who have a learning disability are individuals with diverse needs, you will need to listen and observe body language to check if your communication approach is working.

For a small number of patients with severe and profound and multiple learning disabilities, communication will be much more challenging and they might not communicate verbally. If this is the case, you should still try to build a rapport with the person. Ask how best to communicate. Just because someone cannot give a verbal response it does not necessarily mean that they cannot comprehend what you say to them.