There is almost daily coverage in the media about the challenges faced by our national health service, coping with the backlog from the pandemic. In this issue we consider what that means for children and adults with learning disabilities and their families. We already knew, and there is lots of evidence, that this group of children and adults face challenges in getting their health needs met, from health needs not being identified in the first place, to the challenges of attending appointments where no reasonable adjustments have been made.

We know that it is possible to meet people's health needs if there is flexibility and if health professionals value and listen to the individual and those who know them well. In this newsletter we hear from a family carer who has advocated strongly for her daughter to get access to treatment she needs, and also about one Health Trust who have prioritised the health needs of individuals with learning disabilities because of the known health inequalities they face.

Early identification of health needs, including through screening for sight, hearing and dental problems, can lead to early treatment and help, and to avoid more serious issues later on. The link between unmet health needs and the development of behaviour that is described as challenging is also well established. Early input makes sense both from the individual's perspective for their quality of life, as well as financial sense for "the system", avoiding costly later support which is often at crisis point.

The CBF has resources available that set out your rights to healthcare and reasonable adjustments as well as practical tips to get access to good healthcare - we hope you find them useful.

Vivien Cooper, Family carer and CEO of the CBF.

This edition of the newsletter along with back copies are available on our website.