Quality statement 3: Access to services for people with a learning disability
Quality statement
People with a learning disability are supported to access overweight and obesity management services. [new 2025]
Rationale
People with a learning disability are at greater risk of obesity than the general population and may need tailored support to access services that can help them achieve or maintain a healthy lifestyle and manage their weight. They may benefit from tailored messaging, targeted follow up after intervention, changes to local service and commissioning approaches, and services accessible for people with different complexity of needs.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Structure
Evidence of action plans that identify strategies and measures for people with a learning disability to access overweight and obesity management services.
Data source: Evidence can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example local health equity audits.
Outcome
a) Rates of access to overweight and obesity management services, by the population with a learning disability and the population without a learning disability.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from the electronic medical record.
b) Prevalence of overweight in people with a learning disability.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from primary care records.
c) Prevalence of obesity in people with a learning disability.
Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from the electronic medical record.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (including residential and supported living services, primary care, weight management services and specialist weight management services) ensure that they provide information and services that are accessible to people with a learning disability, and that their staff are trained to consider the individual needs of people accessing the service.
Health and social care practitioners (including residential and supported living care staff, GPs, nurses, dietitians) consider the needs of people with a learning disability when delivering information and services on weight management.
Commissioners ensure that the local approach to delivering weight management services engages with and is coproduced by people with a learning disability and their carers, and that services consider their needs (including when providing information) to reduce health inequalities experienced by people with a learning disability. They undertake an equality assessment of the diverse needs of their population, specifically people with a learning disability, and conduct local health equity audits of their services to identify areas where access and services are not equitable.
People with a learning disability are supported and have their needs recognised when receiving information or accessing weight management services, including annual health checks and when taking part in care plans. Their family and carers are involved if appropriate.
Source guidance
Overweight and obesity management. NICE guideline NG246 (2025), recommendation 1.19.2
Equality and diversity considerations
Some people with a learning disability, such as those who may lack capacity or those experiencing homelessness, may benefit from the involvement of an advocate when discussing available local interventions and national programmes (see NICE's guideline on advocacy services for adults with health and social care needs).