Accessibility Tool
Annual Health Checks
GPs offer Annual Health Checks (AHC) for Young People with Learning Disabilities (LD) aged 14 years and above.
A yearly health check helps you stay healthy, giving you an opportunity to talk to a professional about your health. If there are any problems they will make sure you get the right care.
You do not have to be unwell to have a health check. Most people have their annual health check when they're feeling well.
If you are worried about seeing a doctor, or there's anything they can do to make the visit easier for you, let the healthcare centre know. They'll help make sure it goes well for you.
You (or your child) may already receive care from Paediatricians or Specialist Nurses but it is important for your GP to get to know you (or your child) to support your health needs and make sure the transition from children's to adult services is a smooth one.
Students from Derwen College have created this video:
Does your child get extra help at nursery, school or college as they find it hard to learn or do things for themselves at home?
If yes, they may be able to get extra health support from your GP Practice, including an Annual Health Check from the age of 14 onwards.
Find out more about the Learning Disability Register
Norfolk health services have put together the below video to help you learn more about the annual health check.
You will need to make sure that you (or your young person if you're a parent or carer) is on your General Practitioner's (GP's) learning disability register.
The learning disability register is a list of all the people with a learning disability that the GP surgery looks after.
It helps your doctor and healthcare staff know what support you need.
Mencap offer more information and support about joining the learning disability register here.
Visit Mencap's easy read guide to annual health checks to learn more about what happens during the check.
The check will also give you (or your young person if you're a parent or carer) the opportunity to talk about things that may be worrying you. They can also talk about services and things that might improve their health.
This NHS link explains the importance of having an annual health check with your GP
Contact for disabled children have produced an annual health check factsheet for parents and carers. It has information on GP learning disability registers and annual health checks, why they are important and how you can support your child or young person to access the services they are entitled to.
Does your child get extra help at nursery, school or college as they find it hard to learn or do things for themselves at home?
If yes, they may be able to get extra health support from your GP Practice, including an Annual Health Check from the age of 14 onwards.
Find out more about the Learning Disability Register
It is important to keep information about your health and details of people who help you with your health care, such as doctors, dentists and opticians. You could use this personal health template to keep this information in.
We also have lots of resources to help support you to look after your physical health. You could also visit easy health for easy-read leaflets on staying healthy.
An active lifestyle is also important to prevent illness and improve our physical and mental wellbeing, helping us to feel our best. To stay healthy or to improve your health, you need to do two types of physical activity each week:
The amount of physical activity you need to do depends on your age. Guidelines can be found on NHS Choices.
Free online resources, apps and printables to support Becoming more physically active in Milton Keynes
Eating too much, too little or too many unhealthy (fatty or sugary) foods can be bad for your health and increase the chance of becoming ill. It can also be bad for your confidence. For information on good foods, how much you should weigh and understanding food labels, visit NHS Choices
NHS Eat Well provides information on how to eat healthily, exercise and understand what your weight means.
For most of us, there are times in our lives when there is too much happening and we feel stressed or anxious and worried and might find it difficult to cope.
Unfortunately, trying to build up your independence may put you in a situation where these feelings can start to make it difficult to do the things you would like to do. It is important to look after your emotional wellbeing as this can have an impact on your physical health. There is lots of information and support available on our mental health and wellbeing pages.
Mencap’s campaign called Treat Me Well has created lots of resources to support people with a learning disability in hospital.
The following resources have been created to explain what rights people with a learning disability have when it comes to hospital care.
The Teen Sleep Hub provides information and advice for young people, parents, carers and professionals working in schools.
If you’re looking for advice on how to sleep better, would like tips on tweaking your routine or help to understand the science behind your sleep patterns, you’ll find it all here.
Some people with long-term complex health needs qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is known as NHS continuing healthcare. More information about continuing healthcare can be found on the NHS website.
BLMK Healthier Together website aims to promote and support health and wellbeing in Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes.
There is advice and support for young people and their parents to support a healthy lifestyle.
Please find additional support for young people on growing up, which covers the following topics:
