United Response Area Manager, Catherine Taylor, said:

We challenged the consultant on his understanding of learning disability. There was no person-centred element to his approach – he just assumed that this lady wouldn’t cope.

We said we know her really well, we know how to reassure her. If we’re with her leading up to the operation and afterwards, she will cope well.

United Response staff held multidisciplinary meetings with health professionals and an advocate to discuss the procedure and the support that would be needed. Rita was finally admitted, but her first procedure was cancelled because she was given breakfast at the hospital even though she needed an empty stomach.

Despite being given Rita’s communication profile, hospital passport and support plan, she was let down a lot when re-admitted too.

“Staff would listen to my explanations about guidelines, but once they’d gone away that information would be forgotten” said Team Manager Kelly Irvine.

Rita was quite fearful of being sedated:

At one point they weren’t going to do the procedure because Rita refused to get on a trolley. I helped them to see that Rita had not refused what they wanted to do, but how they wanted her to get there.

One of the conditions of the operation was that Rita had 24-hour support while she was in hospital. Our staff took turns to be with her on the ward, advising the hospital team and challenging decisions when Rita became anxious or upset.

Lead Senior Support Worker, Michelle Davies, said:

We felt like the nurses saw us a pain because we kept speaking up for her.

Rita was lucky in that she had us to do that for her. How many other people are there out there with learning disabilities that haven’t got somebody to speak up on their behalf? They might go into hospital without a voice because they’ve got no family.

Catherine said:

Michelle’s been incredible. I was absolutely bowled over by her knowledge, her confidence and the way that she was advocating for Rita.

Michelle said:

I like trying to make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a massive difference; it can be just something simple.

Kelly agreed:

I like seeing people being as independent as possible in whatever they do. If you’ve made something change for them, that’s the reward.

Thanks to the efforts of Kelly, Michelle and our other Salford staff members, Rita is recovering well. At her post-op checkup, her surgeon said he is really pleased with her progress. Once she’s discharged, the team plan to book her a holiday.

*Name has been changed to protect the person’s identity.

This content is part of a series of hospital stories – read more here.

  • Jenna Lloyd is Senior Content Officer for United Response.