A new tool has been created by a team led by Keele University to help people with a learning disability access urgent and emergency care more easily.

Funded by the RCN Foundation, an independent charity that supports and strengthens nursing and midwifery to improve the health and wellbeing of the public, the careLeD tool is a digital resource featuring interactive content and educational resources, designed to encourage people with a learning disability to prepare for when they - or someone they are with - needs to access care. The tool covers urgent care and emergency care as well as offering resources, help and support.

Launched this week at an online event with keynote speaker, actor and campaigner Tommy Jessop, the new tool is primarily for people with a learning disability who live independently but can also be used by those living with family, carers or in health and social care or educational settings.

The tool is also aimed at those who support people with a learning disability including advocacy groups, health and social care professionals and education professionals, to guide people with learning disabilities and prepare them to access urgent and emergency care.

The careLeD tool has been co-produced by the UCAN (Urgent Care Access Now) team, made up of academics from Keele University, partners from North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, NHS Grampian, and independent advisor consultant nurse Gwen Moulster OBE. They worked alongside people with a lived experience of a learning disability who have recently accessed care services to understand their experiences and challenges faced.

In 2025, Mencap estimate that 1.5 million people are living with a learning disability in the UK - all in need of support to access the care they need when they are unwell.

Project lead Dale Nixon, a lecturer in Learning Disability Nursing at Keele University, said: "We hope this tool is valuable to help people with a learning disability prepare in advance for when they might need to access urgent or emergency care.

"We know from our research that accessing care can be challenging when you are unwell. From knowing who to call, to being able to communicate specific needs, participants explained that they could not always access the care they needed when they required it. Our group of co-producers were very clear about what is needed to help make things easier."

Deepa Korea, RCN Foundation Director said: "We are incredibly pleased to see the launch of the careLeD tool. The UCAN project spoke to people with lived experience from across the UK and listened to their experiences and asked them what they need.  It has been a true collaborative effort throughout the project.

"At a time when NHS resources are stretched, we hope the new tool will provide a much-needed resource to support people with a learning disability in accessing urgent and emergency care."

Gwen Moulster OBE, Consultant Learning Disability Nurse, and one of the researchers involved in the project, said: "We are excited to launch the new tool after working with our group of co-producers to understand how we can support access to urgent and emergency care services; the learning disability voice is at the heart of our project."