Annual Health Checks for Learning Disabilities: Why They Are Vital

People with learning disabilities in the UK experience significantly worse mental and physical health outcomes than the general population. In many situations, people with learning disabilities die from potentialy tearable conditions. NHS England research says that only 37% of people with learning disabilities live longer than the age of 65, while the general population statistics are up to 85%.

So, it is important to have an annual health check to help you stay well. Talking about your condition or findings with your GP or nurse can help sort things out. In this blog, we will cover what annual health checks for learning disabilities are, why they are important, and what to expect during these checks.

What Are Annual Health Checks for Learning Disabilities?

Annual health checks are for people with learning disabilities aged 14 and over. This is an NHS enhanced service specially for people with learning disabilities who are on their GP’s learning disability register. In this annual health check, a GP or nurse generally review a person’s physical and mental health.

The check is more detailed and dedicated to the person than a standard check. Here is what it contains:

1. A review of physical and mental health
2. Checks for common conditions with learning disabilities: epilepsy, constipation, swallowing problems, vision and hearing issues.
3. A check for conditions such as those linked to Down’s syndrome.
4. A medication review under STOMP/STAMP programmes.
5. A check to see if the vaccinations are up to date, such as flu, pneumonia, and hepatitis B.

These annual health checks are not compulsory, it can only be conducted with the consent of the person taking them. 

Why Learning Disability Health Checks Are So Important

Research from LeDeR’s reports suggests that individuals with learning disabilities(LD) die 19.5 years earlier, and it goes up to 26.8 years for severe/profound LD. LeDeR’s reports further show that asian and asian british backgrounds often die younger than white backgrounds. People in the most deprived areas living with a learning disability are more likely to die younger than those in the least deprived areas.  

These situations remind us of the impact of health inequalities and why the annual health checks for learning disabilities are so important. 

This annual check is designed to catch commonly missed or misdiagnosed conditions. The most recent NHS data suggest that in the year 2025/26, around 267,000 learning disability health action plans were completed for about 78% of those aged 14+ on the learning disability register. 

What to Expect During a Learning Disability Health Check

The check should be carried out by someone trained appropriately (a GP or learning disability nurse) who understands how to communicate accessibly and avoid diagnostic overshadowing.

As per NHS guidance, the learning disability health check follows:

• A discussion about general well-being and whether the person needs help staying well
• Checks for conditions more common in people with a learning disability (epilepsy, constipation, dysphagia, vision, hearing)
• A urine sample or blood test may be requested
• A medicines review, to make sure the right medication is being given at the right time (and to check no one is being over-medicated unnecessarily – see STOMP/STAMP)
• Height, weight, and general physical checks
• A discussion of any worries the person or their carer wants to raise
• At the end, the doctor or nurse produces a health action plan — a written record of any follow-up actions, referrals, or health promotion advice, which is reviewed and updated at the next check

How Carers and Support Workers Can Prepare

• Confirmation of Registration: A person should be on the GP’s learning disability register to be eligible for the health check. A family/carer can ask the GP practice to add them.
• Pre-health questionnaire: GP practice offers a pre-questionnaire beforehand, or you can ask for it in advance. Some ICBs send these out in advance to gather information from carers before the appointment.
• Health Passport/Hospital Passport: A document containing information about an individual’s needs, communication style, and health history that can be shared with any health professional.
• Request reasonable adjustments in advance: Based on a person’s needs and disabilities, you may ask for reasonable adjustments such as a quiet waiting area, the first or last slot of the day, easy-read materials, etc.
• Prepare the person beforehand: NHS England and organisations such as West of England Learning Disability Collaborative produce easy-to-read guides and videos accessible to all.
• Follow up on the health action plan: After the appointment, carers play a key role in making sure agreed actions (referrals, follow-up tests, lifestyle changes) are actually completed before the next annual review.

Reasonable Adjustments – Know Your Rights

Under the Equality Act 2010, disability is one of the nine protected characteristics. All public sectors and NHS England and NHS-funded organisations are responsible for, and have a legal duty to, make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This is an anticipatory duty in which organisations are expected to anticipate needs before problems arise. 

Equality Act 2010 accepts a person with a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (learning disabilities, etc.) as a disabled person. This person is eligible for reasonable adjustments for annual health checks for learning disabilities under the Act.

A newer NHS-wide system confirms that it will let health care staff record, share and view a person’s reasonable adjustments for learning disabilities, so the staff can use this data for better and quicker preparations in the future. NHS and care providers in England must be able to use it by 30 September 2026. You can simply ask your GP for this information and about available adjustments. 

How Secure Healthcare Solutions Can Help

Secure healthcare solutions as a provider that understands this enhanced service framework and can support GP practices, care homes, and services in identifying and registering eligible persons in the learning disability register. 

Staff trained in learning disability and autism awareness can help with preparing for annual health checks and understanding reasonable adjustments, communication needs, and how to complete pre-check questionnaires. Furthermore, Secure Healthcare Solutions can ensure the health action plans are followed through between checks, since plans are only useful if actions are taken.

As one of the leading providers of Learning Disability Services in the UK, Secure Healthcare Solutions is committed to helping practices deliver consistent, person-centred care. Get in touch with our team today to find out how we can support your service in delivering high-quality annual health checks and ongoing care for people with learning disabilities.

References: 

• https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/C0962-i-annual-health-check-in-secondary-care-context-document.pdf
• https://www.mencap.org.uk/press-release/mencap-responds-2023-leder-report
• https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/learning-disabilities-health-check-scheme/england-march-2026
• https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/improving-health/annual-health-checks/
• https://digital.nhs.uk/services/reasonable-adjustment-flag
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reasonable-adjustments-a-legal-duty/reasonable-adjustments-a-legal-duty