Grant received for specialist nurse to support patients with learning disabilities

Our Trust has been successful in securing one of the first ever Cancer Innovation Grants from the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, through a joint bid alongside NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the Bridlington Primary Care Network (PCN). This grant will enable the Trust to provide specialist support for people with learning disabilities, to improve access and engagement with crucial cancer screening programmes.

To aid the accessibility of cancer screening for patients with learning disabilities, the grant will put in place a specialist Learning Disabilities nurse role to foster better engagement with multiple health services. It will also create paid roles for experts by experience to develop accessible materials, share their experiences and advice around reasonable adjustments and provide peer support.

Patients with learning disabilities are less likely to attend or take up appointments for vital checks, putting them at greater risk of poor health and negative outcomes.

Bridlington and Goole have been identified as areas within the Trust’s geography that suffer from deprivation, as such these areas will be the focus of the work of learning disability nursing.

Bridlington Primary Care Network said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for Bridlington Primary Care Network and our Learning Disability community to be involved in improving access and outcomes to cancer screening programmes which are specifically designed with learning disability in mind.”

In April 2024, the Cancer Alliance launched its first-ever Cancer Innovation Grants programme, setting aside £400,000 to fund a wide variety of projects to improve early cancer detection or improve treatment or recovery for cancer patients in Humber and North Yorkshire. They received numerous bids to secure funding and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust was successful due to their innovative approach to improving health inequalities in patients.

Dr Kartikae Grover, Clinical Director, Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, said: “The fact that the Cancer Alliance was inundated with entries worth a value totalling more than three times the allocated funding amount is testament to the important role innovation can play in improving health and care services using the finite resources at our disposal. The Cancer Innovation Grants are an excellent opportunity to develop our local culture of innovation through adopting and developing new ideas, which have a positive impact on patient experience and outcomes and the local cancer system. Everyone at the Cancer Alliance is looking forward to seeing these projects develop from the concept stage and deliver real benefit to cancer patients in Humber and North Yorkshire.”

Humber and North Yorkshire ICB East Riding Place said “This grant will allow us to take a significant step forward in addressing some of the health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities in accessing cancer screening services. By introducing a dedicated Learning Disabilities Nurse and creating paid roles for experts with lived experience, we can ensure that support is specialist and meets the needs of the communities we serve. This initiative underscores our commitment to improving health outcomes for the most vulnerable in our geography, particularly in areas like Bridlington and Goole where deprivation adds further challenges to accessing care. By working collaboratively, we are confident this project can make a real and lasting difference for people with learning disabilities, ensuring they access the life-saving screenings and support they need.”

Recruitment of this newly created nursing role will commence in the very near future, with all current job vacancies at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust being advertised on their Join Humber website here