Northamptonshire GP practices awarded Learning Disabilities Star Award
Eighteen practices GP practices across Northamptonshire have been accredited with the Learning Disability Star Award in recognition for going above and beyond in supporting people with learning disabilities.
NHFT works closely with partners as part of Northamptonshire's Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism (MHLDA) collaborative, ensuring people with additional needs receive high-quality, specialised care.
Launched in March 2025 by the Learning Disabilities Health Facilitators, the initiative is already driving improvements in care and increasing awareness of the needs of people with learning disabilities. To qualify for Star Award status, GP practices must demonstrate that they meet 4 key areas:
- Appoint a Learning Disabilities Champion to advocate for patients
- Provide reasonable adjustments to improve accessibility
- Offer annual health checks, achieving at least 75% uptake
- Deliver person-centred care tailored to individual needs
Interest in the programme continues to grow with more practices now applying and working towards accreditation. All applications are reviewed by a panel of professional experts and those with lived experience.
The 18 Northamptonshire GP practices that have achieved Star Award status so far are:
- Abbey Medical Practice, Wellingborough
- Albany House Medical Centre, Wellingborough
- Burton Latimer Medical Centre
- Byfield Medical Centre, Daventry
- Danetre Medical Practice, Daventry
- Eskdaill Medical, Kettering
- Harborough Field Surgery, Rushden
- Headlands Surgery, Kettering
- Leicester Terrace Health Care Centre, Northampton
- Linden Medical Practice, Kettering
- Moulton Medical Centre
- Rothwell & Desborough Healthcare Group
- Spinney Brook Medical Centre, Wellingborough
- The Long Buckby Practice
- The Crescent Medical Centre, Northampton
- The Meadows Surgery, Thrapston
- Woodsend Medical Centre, Corby
- Woodview Medical Centre, Northampton
Ellen, a healthcare professional from Abbey Medical Centre said:
"We are quite a big team with 4 clinicians involved and it has given them a nice boost as well as us because we work hard. Needs of people with learning disabilities truly matter - whether that's by providing easy read information, offering support to attend appointments, or providing a quiet space to wait in."
Chloe Crosby, a healthcare professional from Woodsend Medical Centre, said:
"Even before the award, our drive was always to help patients. The Star Award reflects the way we've continued to think differently about communication, build personal relationships, and make the GP practice a place where people with a learning disability feel known, comfortable, and not afraid to come in and talk to us."
Photo 1, left to right: Emma Darko-Arthur, Bev Groom, Michelle Hirst and Christina Lawrence from Spinney Brook Medical Centre
Photo 2, left to right: Emma Darko-Arthur, Laura Robertson, Michelle Hirst and Chloe Crosby at Woodsend Medical Centre