@NHS shines a spotlight on Intellectual (Learning) Disabilities

Jim Blair, Consultant Nurse, Intellectual (Learning) Disabilities takes over the @NHS Twitter account.

Each week, control of the @NHS Twitter account is handed over to a new patient or member of staff from across the health service. Each new curator takes control of the account for five days, using it to bring to life patient experience and to celebrate the work of the NHS.

Last year, Hannah Robinson, Trainee Clinical Scientist at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), took over the account, and this week it’s the turn of Jim Blair, Consultant Nurse, Intellectual (Learning) Disabilities at GOSH.

Jim is keen to provide a glimpse into his multifaceted role and to give a taster of what he gets up to during his working week. He’ll be using his week in charge of the account to highlight diagnostic overshadowing, the importance of reasonable adjustments and learning disability nursing and looking at ways to enhance and improve health outcomes for patients and families.

Jim says: “I was asked to take over the account for a week and jumped at the wonderful opportunity to share positive solutions with a wide audience. Each of the topic areas I’ve chosen are vital areas that must be addressed to enhance and improve the health outcomes of people with learning disabilities and their families. It is essential to genuinely engage with experts by lived and parental experience in teaching, service design, evolution, evaluation and inspection. Working together in this way, we can get care right.”

Jim is Consultant Nurse for Learning Disabilities at GOSH, having joined GOSH in 2013. Alongside his work at GOSH, Jim is also Associate Professor Intellectual (Learning) Disabilities at Kingston University and St George’s University, and Clinical Advisor Learning Disabilities NHS England. Jim is also the Health Advisor at the British Institute of Learning Disabilities and the Learning Disability Advisor to the States of Jersey and Guernsey. Back in 2011-13, Jim was also Vice Chairman of Special Olympics Great Britain.

Follow Jim's week on Twitter.