New directions in diagnostic pathways for adults and children with learning disabilities - workshop insights

On 4 July 2023, Agnes Turnpenny, Caroline Dowson and Di Domenico from IPC were joined by Vicky Townsend and Leah Baker from Gloucestershire County Council in an online event looking at challenges, dilemmas, and solutions around the identification and diagnosis of adults and children with learning disabilities.

Di Domenico and Agnes Turnpenny set the scene and presented NHS England’s latest policy and position on diagnosing learning disability. Then Vicky Townsend and Leah Baker shared their journey and vision to create an all-age diagnostic pathway for learning disability in Gloucestershire and the challenges they faced.

This was followed by a stimulating discussion about the difference between identification and diagnosis, implications for services and commissioning, and local models, including the use of the Dynamic Support and GP registers.

There were two key take-outs from the event which included:

• the implications of the distinctions between identification and diagnosis to ensure that people with a learning disability are not excluded from accessing care,
• and support and the need for co-produced and inclusive local approaches.