Equality for children and young people with learning disability (LD)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Ensuring equal access to high quality hospital care and services for children and young people with long-term conditions and /or learning disabilities: Phase 1. Pay More Attention
IRAS ID
193932
Contact name
Kate Oulton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Great Ormond Street Hosptial NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
BACKGROUND
Despite comprehensive evidence of health inequalities for adults with learning disability (LD), including poor practice, discrimination and abuse in hospitals, there has yet to be a comprehensive review of whether this inequality applies to children and young people (CYP) with LD and their families. Qualitative evidence of parental dissatisfaction with the quality, safety and accessibility of hospital care for CYP with LD exists. However, the extent to which their experience differs from that of parents of CYP without LD is not known. Moreover, the views and experiences of CYP with LD are missing. A major uncertainty is whether they face the same, or indeed different inequalities as adults with LD.AIM
The aim of this mixed methods study (to be conducted over 4 phases) is to identify the cross-organisational, organisational and individual factors in NHS hospitals that facilitate or prevent CYP with LD and their families receiving equal access to high quality care and services.The objectives of Phase one described here, are to 1) describe the organisational context for healthcare delivery to CYP with LD and their families and 2) compare how equipped hosital staff feel they are to idenitfy the needs of CYP with and without LD and their families and provide high quality care to effectively meet these needs.
SETTING
Phase one will involve nine pairs of specialist children’s hospitals and non-specialist hospitals in England. Four hospitals from phase one will be included in phases two, three and four (not discussed here). Subsequent phases will be the subject of a future application.METHODS
Methods of data collection will include a) interviews with hospital staff, b) content analysis of hospital documents, c) hospital staff questionnaire.The findings will be disseminated widely through presentations, publications and a report back to participants.
REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A