Assessing the perioperative communication needs of a patient with learning disabilities: An holistic case study...

Patients should be at the heart of everything we do. The aim should always be to achieve healthcare outcomes by involving patients fully in their own care, with decisions made in partnership with clinicians, rather than by clinicians alone: 'no decision about me, without me' (DH 2012). This article details a plan of care for an 18 year old male patient with a moderate level of learning disability who was scheduled for a tonsillectomy at a local NHS trust hospital. It focuses on the management of the patient's anxiety, nausea and pain. In accordance with the Health and Care Professions Council's code of confidentiality (HCPC 2014) the location and individual names of places and people concerned will not be disclosed. The patient presented at the pre-assessment appointment as having a learning disability consistent with a diagnosis of being on the autistic spectrum. More specifically, he had cognitive impairment which affected his ability to understand complex information. This, combined with a reduced ability to cope independently, formed the rationale for the attendance of a carer throughout his perioperative journey. According to the National Autistic Society (NAS) there are approximately 700,000 people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the UK ie more than 1 in 100. Autism is a part of daily life for 2.8 million people (NAS nd).