Screening for learning disability in primary care: an examination of feasibility against the Wilson-Jungner criteria

Abstract

People with learning disabilities face major health inequities and reducing these requires the learning disability to be recognised in the first place. There are screening tools designed to support primary care professionals to identify who, from among their patients, is likely to have a learning disability. These individuals can then undergo a full assessment and, if needed, receive support and interventions such as annual health checks. One question that arises is whether routine screening for learning disability in primary care is feasible. In this article, the authors examine the feasibility of routine screening for learning disability in primary care against the Wilson-Jungner criteria, which are the gold standard for appraising screening programmes.