Inclusion in primary care for people with intellectual disabilities: gaining the perspective of service user and supporting social care staff

The aim of this study was to gain service user and social care staff perspectives on the barriers facing people with intellectual disabilities when accessing primary healthcare. A qualitative mixed methods semi-structured approach involved the use of focus groups and individual interviews within the service users' homes. A purposive sampling strategy identified people using primary healthcare in the last 6 months (N = 6) with support from social care staff (N = 19). Three emergent themes were common to service users and carer staff: `accessing the surgery', `communication issues' and `waiting around'. Other themes were unique to each group. Social care staff identified the `attitudes and behaviour of primary healthcare staff' as sometimes problematic, and the importance of `knowing the service user'. Service users identified `feelings about going to the doctor', `health education' and `making changes'. Gaining these views is an important first step in improving access to primary healthcare.