Wednesday July 29th 2026
NHS Borders
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
NHS Borders has introduced successful measures to tackle health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities.
People with learning disabilities can face poorer health outcomes and barriers to accessing healthcare.
It has meant that preventable conditions are more likely to go undetected and opportunities for earlier intervention are sometimes missed.
Health chiefs accept that Annual Health Checks have not always been available consistently across NHS Borders.
To help address this, Annual Health Checks are now embedded as a core service within NHS Borders Learning Disability Services.
The checks support earlier identification of health needs, improve access to healthcare and help reduce health inequalities.
In 2024/25, 191 Annual Health Checks were completed across NHS Borders.
The health body is now working towards completing 400 checks by March 2027.
A NHS Borders spokesperson said: “This will reduce health inequalities by helping more people with learning disabilities to benefit from proactive and person-centred care.”
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