Our progress | 2019-2025
As our Learning Disability programme nears its six year anniversary and prepares to embark on a new phase, let’s take a closer look at the progress of our work from 2019-2025.
Introduction
Our Learning Disability programme was set up in 2019 to advise, support, and provide direction to the NHS in Wales. Since then, we have worked to improve patient safety by reducing avoidable harm and deaths in the health and care system in Wales. The programme has worked under different Service Level Agreements with Welsh Government, most recently driving forward the delivery of their Learning Disability Strategic Plan 2021-2025. This progress update reflects work that took place during that period, celebrating the success and acknowledging the challenges we met.
Welcome
Rachel Ann Jones, National Programme Manager:
“Improving health experiences and outcomes for people with a learning disability has always been our priority purpose. We must take many steps, both small and big, to achieve a fairer Wales for all. That simply isn’t possible overnight but over time, real improvements can happen and I’m so proud to see the meaningful difference the programme has made since 2019.
“None of our progress would have been possible without the dedication of our team. Our unique team is the first of its kind. They have brought an invaluable wealth of first-hand service experience from a complex multi-setting system that spans health, care, and education. Often going above and beyond, they truly practice the principle that everyone deserves to access the right care at the right time.
“We’ve come a long way, as I’m sure you will agree when you look through this presentation of the programme’s progress, but we have further to go. There have been many lessons for us and we know people with a learning disability continue to face health inequalities every day. Please read about our activity and think about what you can learn, because we all have a responsibility to address the needs of the individuals and families in the learning disability community.”
A Ministerial message
Sarah Murphy MS, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing:
“Not only has the programme helped to set the strategic agenda across Wales, it has gained recognition from key partners around the world.
"Now an established voice in the work to address health inequalities, the programme is a success story that should be celebrated.
"We’re thrilled to see the progress of the programme since 2019 and look forward to an equally impressive future.”
Patient safety solutions
We have supported the system to meet the needs of people with a learning disability, by co-producing and nationally delivering education and patient safety solutions.
Data and analysis
We have enabled and influenced evidence-based decision making across the system by furthering the field with new approaches to data and analysis.
Strategic leadership
We have provided strategic leadership across the health and care system, collaborating with local, regional, national, and international partners.
Elevating standards in care
We have worked with stakeholders to increase standards in care and set the conditions for service providers to meet the needs of people with a learning disability, overcoming an absence of national workforce standards.
Lessons and learnings
As we reflect on the activity and achievements of the programme, it presents us with an opportunity consider the lessons we’ve learned and their meaning for the health of the learning disability community.
There have a been a number of significant system changes over recent years. One of these changes is that Improvement Cymru now sits as part of the Quality, Safety and Improvement Directorate of the NHS Executive. From our position, there is a clear need for greater strategic impetus and governance, as per the National Clinical Framework, Duty of Quality Statutory Guidance, and updated Health and Care Quality Standards. We believe alignment in these areas will have a direct benefit for quality, safety and improvement in patient care.
Another key learning for us is that time-focused and small-scale improvement projects are not sufficient in tackling the extent of disparity in health outcomes experienced by people with a learning disability in Wales. Time-limited funding has enabled the development of an innovative programme, focused on improving the health of people with a learning disability in Wales and driven by a team of learning disability and improvement experts. However, the objectives and outcome measures of this work, including a reduction in avoidable and premature death, requires a long-term visionary strategy.
Our next steps
The programme has a renewed remit for the next 12 months in 2025/26. We will focus on four areas that can accelerate improved health outcomes for people with a learning disability when they access healthcare.
Our four areas of improvement reflect ministerial policy priorities to address some of the immediate needs in Wales:
- Enhanced data and specific standards: Drive forward equity critical mechanisms to demonstrate change and improvement.
- Health Checks: Increase the uptake and quality of Health Checks as an essential evidence-based intervention.
- Reducing length of stay: Improve quality of life for patients and families for people with a learning disability in specialist hospitals.
- Reduce restrictive practice: Prevent unacceptable harm for people with a learning disability.
We’re concentrating our improvement efforts and targeting areas where we can deliver measurable differences for the learning disability community, while making the most of available resources from Welsh Government.
We’ll continue to engage the learning disability community to ensure Wales’ future direction is informed by the people who are most affected by decisions. Their voice is valued and essential to our work, especially as we work closely with Welsh Government to support the design of their next strategy.
Join our national network
We’re dedicated to creating a safer, fairer, and healthier Wales for people with a learning disability. This is why we’re building a national network and we want you to join us shape a better future.
Signing up to our national network is the best way to stay in the know about our latest work. You will receive notifications when we publish, invitations to our events and webinars, opportunities to contribute to projects through co-production, and much more.
This network will help people with a learning disability, their families and carers, professionals working in healthcare, social care, and education, to stay in the know about national policy.
Sign up today: www.improvementcymru.net/ld-national-network
