The Lymington Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) has produced an Easy Read Guide to support people with learning disabilities, to understand what the UTC can treat, how the individual will be cared for and how to access the service.
The Easy Read Guide was produced in partnership with the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust’s North and West Hampshire Community Learning Disability Team. Easy Read is a way of making information easier to understand for people with learning disabilities, and other people find Easy Read Guide’s useful, particularly anyone who finds it hard to read written English.
The Easy Read Guide aims to reduce anxieties when people need medical treatment. It provides clear and simple information about what to expect when you go to the Urgent Treatment Centre and includes pictures and diagrams to help people understand the information.
Service Users of the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Learning Disability Services and the Patient Experience Group supported the production of the Easy Read Guide. One individual who assisted to produce the guide wasRosie.
“The Easy Read Guide was brought to us to look through, change bits around and to make it easier to understand so going to the UTC is less daunting.”
Rosie, Service User and Patient Experience Group Member
The Lymington UTC is situated in Lymington New Forest Hospital and provides treatment for patients with an urgent minor injury or minor illness which is not critical or life threatening. The UTC is supported by a GP led team of nurse practitioners, specialist paramedics, experienced health care support workers, and a dedicated reception team and is open 365 days a year, from 8am until 9pm.
“Because of my disability, I end up in hospital quite a lot and it is a great deal of anxiety when you don’t know where you’re going and you don’t know what is going to happen so it is nice to all be written out in a leaflet.”
Rosie, Service User and Patient Experience Group Member
“I think the Easy Read Guide is going to have a really positive impact, people will be able to see exactly where they’re going. Having this information laid out in an easy read format will help people understand exactly what is going to happen when they arrive at the UTC so they don’t feel quite as nervous”
Alice Ryan, Occupational Therapist, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust is working towards making Easy Read Guides for all of the leaflets that they produce to make information more accessible. The Trust works with Service Users and Patient Experience Groups to ensure that the Easy Read Guides are effective.
“It’s great that the people who will be using the guide are the ones that have been able to have an input and develop them as they are ultimately the ones that will benefit from them”.
Alice Ryan, Occupational Therapist, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
