In this section
Learning disability services
- Easy read hospital summary sheet - which can be brought to our emergency department to provide helpful information for ward staff
- Blank hospital passport - encourage anyone who doesn’t have a passport to complete this and send the learning disability team a copy
- Hospital passport guidelines
- Watch this video about what it is like to attend the Emergency Departments and appointments at our hospitals:
About us
Our Learning Disability Liaison Nurses, Karen Pearce and Jo Blades can offer support to you and your family.
If you need hospital care and have a learning disability, the Learning Disability Liaison Nurses can support you and your family. Hospital care might mean staying overnight in hospital or just going for an appointment. Karen or Jo will help you and the hospital staff get to know each other and will make sure the staff know how to make you feel most at ease.
If you have to come to hospital please contact Karen or Jo and they will find out how to make you feel comfortable in hospital. They can make plans and get information for the hospital staff. This will help you to get the care you need in the way that you need it.
If you are staying in hospital for a while Karen or Jo will make sure staff are using your plan. They will try and answer any questions you have and if they can't answer them straight away they will find out for you. Karen or Jo will also help your family and carers and answer their questions too.
The learning disability liaison nurses also:
- gives advice and training to hospital staff so that they give better care to you in the future
- will attend other health group meetings to get your views when they can
Hospital passports are a good way of sharing information with the hospital staff about your support needs, likes and dislikes and how you communicate.
Karen or Jo are happy to help you to make a passport which they can share with the staff in the hospital before you need to come for your appointment.
They can also create an alert which tells hospital staff that you have a learning disability and a passport.
Contact us
How to contact the learning disability liaison team:
You can ask your carer or family to do this. Your community nurse or a person that supports you can also do it if you are unable to.
- Telephone: Jo - 07795 126473 or Georgina - 07917 184539
- You can also email: jo.blades@york.nhs.uk or georgina.cherry2@nhs.net
Service availability
The service is available from Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.30pm.
- Georgina works Tuesday – Friday and is based in York Hospital
- Jo works Monday – Wednesday and is based in Scarborough Hospital
Transition co-ordination service
The service is available from Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.30pm
