GP practices: reasonable adjustments
GPs are required by law to make their practices accessible to people with disability, including mental illness. Making 'reasonable adjustments' in this way will help people with mental illness protect their health.
Why are reasonable adjustments important for people with mental illness?
- 95% of people with a mental illness receive their care from a GP.
- In a recent Rethink survey, 1 in 5 people with mental illness said that GP practices need to be targeted in an anti-stigma campaign.
- On average, people with severe mental illness die 10 years earlier than the rest of the population.
The physical health of people with mental illness may deteriorate due to barriers accessing GP practices, or because their health concerns are not taken seriously.
There are attitudes from GP receptionists, for example “you don’t look ill”, or “what’s the panic?” when you approach the reception window in public eye and earshot. It just shows the ignorance towards mentally ill patients.
GP Toolkit: What's Reasonable?
Rethink and the Royal College of GPS have worked together to produce a booklet for GPs that suggests reasonable adjustments for people with mental illness.
The toolkit is based on a consultation event with people with mental health service users, carers, GPs and practice staff.
Please download the GP Toolkit: What's Reasonable? (451 kb) ![[pdf]](http://www.rethink.org/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif){kind=icon}
