Medical Needs of Adults with a Learning Disability HEA4505

Overview

This module has been designed for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals working at a senior level and caring for people with a learning disability within their role to add to their skillset and to address a number of cross-cutting themes that will enable practitioners to provide high quality, person-centred care for adults with a learning disability. Successful completion of the module aims to enable learners to champion good care and provide clinical leadership in their workplace setting(s); for example, enabling practitioners to work in a ‘Learning Disability Physician/Practitioner Role’.

Module code:	HEA4505
Level:	7
Module credits:	30
Cost for new students:	£1530 for 2025/26 academic year

If you are an existing student who is undertaking this module as part of a programme, your fee will have been advised to you by email. You can also check your fees online. For any queries, please contact [email protected].

If your tuition fee is being paid by a sponsor or you are a sponsor paying a student’s fee, you are required to send a copy of a purchase order to [email protected].

For further guidance please visit: Sponsored students – Edge Hill University

Who is this module for?

This module has been designed for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals working at a senior level and caring for people with a learning disability within their role (you do not need to work specifically in learning disability services and can apply from primary care and secondary care).

Doctors working at a ‘senior level’ include:

• General Practitioners (GPs) or GP registrars (ST3)
• Psychiatrists or psychiatry registrars (ST5-6)
• General medicine consultants or registrars (ST5-7)

What are the key aims of the module?

1. Critically appraise the impact of health inequalities, premature mortality, and multi-morbidity to systematically effect sound clinical leadership of the care of adults with a learning disability and a complex presentation of need within the wider multidisciplinary team.

2. Critically evaluate the non-standard presentation of illness (illness which may present atypically and therefore be easily missed) and the barriers to communication to manage person centred methods of assessment using multiple sources of complex data.

3. In the context of the wider MDT, apply in-depth knowledge, understanding and skills to synthesise, apply and critically evaluate a contemporary holistic person-centred management plan, advocating for individual human rights and using relevant legislation.

How will I study?

This module is delivered through a blend of in person teaching and online learning. Following an initial full day induction session, the remaining tutorials (5 x 3hr tutorials) will be delivered online. The module is delivered across two academic semesters.

What will I study?

The module will develop knowledge, skills and behaviours relating to specific areas of expertise that will include for example, genetics and syndromes, acute infective presentations, neurology and epilepsy, mental illness, behaviour that challenges and dementia, managing complexity and multi-morbidity, medicines management and communication. Within each area, cross-cutting themes such as person-centred care, application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, safeguarding, clinical leadership and coordination of the multidisciplinary team and application of reasonable adjustments will be considered.

How will I be assessed?

To demonstrate your achievement of the module learning outcomes you will have to complete two assessments.

The first assessment requires the submission of a portfolio of evidence where you must demonstrate meeting the requirements of an assessment decision aid which requires learners to undertake a minimum of three mini-CEX and three Case-based Discussions (CBD) in addition to other forms of supporting evidence.

You will also be required to submit a minimum of four critical reflections of personal professional development episodes linked to key patient-doctor interactions, including one reflection based upon patient and carer feedback.

Study dates and venues

How to apply

Module availability varies from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. Due to the popularity of some modules, it may be that the module becomes fully booked, in this case we will include your details on a waiting list for this cohort and contact you if a place becomes available.

Application for this module is a two-stage process, you should:

• 1. Download and complete the HEA4505 additional information form(Please ensure that the form is fully completed before submission);
• 2. Complete the University online module application form and attach the completed HEA4505 additional information form in the document upload section of this online form.

For more details of how to apply, please visit the apply page.

Following this date, applications will be reviewed, successful applicants will be offered a place.

Funding is available for students to complete the PGCert Medical Practice in Adult Learning Disability, if you wish to apply for this route, please click here for further information. NHS England funded places for applicants working in England will be allocated after the closing date. Please select ‘fully sponsored’ from the drop-down menu in the application form, you will not need to provide a funding code at the application stage.

Contact us

For further details, please contact [email protected] in the first instance.

Alternatively, you can contact the Medical School via email on [email protected].