Learning Disabilities and / or Autism

Overview

The RUH Learning Disability and Autism Team are available Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 5pm.

The Learning Disability and Autism team can:

• Talk to you or your family/carers when you are on a ward, to make sure that you feel safe and supported
• Support you with appointments, procedures or operations
• Talk to hospital staff to make sure that they support you in a way that makes you feel safe and supported
• Make sure that adjustments are made so that you get the health care that you need at hospital
• Support you with understanding your own health
• Share your hospital passports and care plans with the hospital
• Talk to the people that knows you best to make sure that all the important information is shared about you (e.g. your family, carers, community learning disability teams, community autism teams, GPs and social workers)

The Learning Disability / Autism Team

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Martha's Rule

What is Martha's Rule?

Martha's Rule is a patient safety service for inpatients and their families (previously known as "Call for Concern"). Martha's Rule allows hospital inpatients and their families, carers or advocates to seek a review if their condition, or the condition of a loved one, is deteriorating.

The Martha's Rule safety initiative is run by a team of specialist adult critical care nurses (CCOT). The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Following a call they can offer advice over the telephone and/or come to the ward to review a patient's condition.

What to do if you're worried

This is an answer machine service. You will need to leave a message providing the following information:

1. Your name and the name of the patient and a contact number
2. The ward you or they are on
3. A brief description of your concerns

Once you have left a message one of the team will call you back as soon as possible. Please be aware the team are unable to give a call back time as they may be with other patients, they will however call you back as soon as they can.

Martha's Rule and the Learning Disability and Autism Team

The Learning Disability and Autism Team work closely with the CCOT team and when the Learning Disability and autism team visit an inpatient, staying in the hospital they will provide the patient and their carer with an Easy Read leaflet. There are also Easy Read leaflets available for parents/carers who require them who have babies, children or young people as inpatients within the hospital.

If a Martha's Rule call is made CCOT will inform the Learning Disabilities team (in daylight hours) and they will work together to resolve concerns raised.

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Easy Read Leaflets

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Hospital Passports

We recommend that every person with a learning disability and/or autism complete a hospital passport. This is to help staff provide the best possible care.

Here are our blank Word templates:

		Learning Disability Passport
		Autism Passport
		Children's Passport

You should fill out a passport before you even need to come into hospital so that it is ready for when you need it.

You can email completed hospital passports to us at:

ruh-tr.LearningDisabilities@nhs.net

We will put it on your hospital file with an alert for hospital staff to read it. Please also bring in any important guidelines, care plans or protocols that you may have (e.g. epilepsy protocols, eating and drinking guidelines, positive behaviour support plans, etc).

Hospital Facilities

We have Changing Places toilet facilities specially equipped for people with significant learning and physical disabilities.

About our Changing Places facilities

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Information for carers

If you are a carer, please check out the RUH Carers page.

Further information about accessibility

If you need interpreting and translation support, including BSL, please check out the Patient Experience page.

ReSPECT - Easy Read Leaflets

Please see the leaflets in easy read format regarding completion of RESPECT forms:

Other helpful information

Leaflets

What you should bring to hospital

• Nightwear, dressing gown and slippers
• Comfortable shoes, daywear and underwear
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant and any other toiletries such as shaving equipment
• Any sensory comforts - e.g. weighted blanket, stress balls
• Bath towel and a flannel/sponge
• Sanitary products such as tampons (if required)
• Activities - e.g. books to read, tablet, phone, toys
• Any aid that you would normally use: for example, spectacles/contact lenses, walking frame, stick, crutches, wheelchair, prosthesis, CPAP machine
• Mobile phone and charger, headphones
• Small amount of money
• Items of religious or spiritual importance
• Hospital passport (autism/ learning disability)

Further information for carers

If you are a carer, please check out the RUH Carers page.

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