Mencap Liverpool today (Thursday 24^th June) launched its report ‘Make it Better’ at the Royal University Hospital Liverpool. The event was attended by representatives from  Merseyside Hospitals, Primary Care Trusts, and the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Hazel Williams.

The report which contains eleven main recommendations is an investigation into hospital/patient experiences among people with a learning disability on Merseyside at six hospitals in the region.

We were delighted with the support Mencap Liverpool had received for this report from the NHS community on Merseyside and Wirral.  It is hugely important for people with a learning disability and their carers, that they are listened to particularly by all the local hospitals and service providers within the NHS.  The purpose of our ‘Make it Better’ report is to provide a voice for the hospital users so they can relate their experiences and let the NHS know how it can be improved.

These changes cannot take place unless we are listened to, so we were very pleased to see so many representatives of the NHS at the launch today and we would like to thank the Royal Hospital for accommodating us.

We would also like to thank the participants in our investigation, the organisations and groups who helped us and The Vodafone Foundation, who helped to fund Researcher Adam Dinsmore to undertake the investigation.

We have produced an Executive Summary and an East Read version as well as the Full Report.  You can download them by clicking on the links below.

Make it Better Exec Summary_ML_24Jun10

Make it Better EASY READ Report_Mencap Liverpool_ 24Jun10

Make it Better Full Report_Mencap Liverpool_24Jun10

This week is Learning Disability Week- Royal Mencap are launching their ‘Getting it right’ charter which overlaps significantly with many of the recommendations in our ‘Make it Better’ Report.  To find out more abou the national campaign and sign the online petition urging NHS Trusts to adpot the charter, go to www.mencap.org.uk/gettingitright