General Hospital Care for People with Learning Disabilities is a comprehensive resource for those health professionals in a general hospital setting who may come into contact with people with learning disabilities. The book explores the nature of learning disabilities and highlights specific health care needs. It takes the reader through all the key factors in the healthcare process, through pre-admission assessment, care planning, intervention and treatment and liaison and discharge planning while highlighting key areas of healthcare need at each stage. The Department of Health, the National Health Service Executive and Mencap have all reported that people with learning disabilities have increased health needs to the general population, yet these needs are often poorly met and people experience difficulties in accessing appropriate services. This is a timely and accessible resource for healthcare professionals in need of a general introduction to caring for people with a learning disability. * Relevant to the care of both children and adults with a learning disability * Use of case studies to illustrate examples of situations explored in the main text * Focuses on key areas of communication, understanding behavior and the often difficult area of consent