Authors' objectives: Due to their complex and multiple needs, children and young people with learning disability are often labelled as 'disabled' or 'technology-dependent' or as having 'special needs', 'a long-term condition' or 'complex health needs'. Because these terms are often used inter-changeably the unique needs that arise because of their intellectual impairment are often overlooked. They have been described as an invisible population whose voice is rarely heard. We know that in adult hospitals, people with learning disability often do not receive the same quality of care as other people and there is evidence to show that they can experience abuse, discrimination and even death as a result. What we do not know is at what age people with learning disability start to experience such inequality. Through this study we want to focus on hearing the voice of children and young people with learning disability and give them equal opportunity to share their views of hospital care as other children and young people. Our aim is to examine the organisation and delivery of services to identify whether children and young people with learning disability and their families receive equal access to high quality hospital care as other children and what factors help or prevent this.

Project Status: Ongoing

URL for project: http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/projects/hsdr/142145

Anticipated Publish Date: 2021

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research programme

Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK

Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

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