Bridlington to be focus of new Cancer Innovation Grant which supports those with learning disabilities

The Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has been successful in securing a Cancer Innovation Grant 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.

A spokesperson for 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.”

A spokesperson for 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.

Recruitment of this newly created nursing role will commence soon, with all current job vacancies at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust being advertised on their

website https://join.humber.nhs.uk/.