Meeting 'Valuing People' health targets: recommendations from a research workshop

Research at the University of Leeds has evaluated how well changes to healthcare proposed in the Government White Paper Valuing People (Department of Health 2001) were being implemented in one locality and their impact on people with learning disabilities. The project had a developmental aspect and incorporated two workshops over the course of the study to disseminate preliminary findings. These were used to help key stakeholders evaluate progress and to inform discussions about what should happen next in the fieldwork area.

This paper discusses recommendations from the first research workshop at which preliminary findings from the study were presented. The workshop involved health and social care providers and managers, people with learning disabilities, voluntary and community organizations. It gives an overview of local issues relevant to the White Paper health targets and highlights those that need to be resolved before these targets can be achieved. These issues are likely to be replicated in other areas of England and Wales and have implications for leadership, strategy, the allocation of resources and structures of accountability in health and social care agencies.