Adult Learning Disabilities - Annual Health Checks Implementation Group: December 2025

Attendees and apologies

SG Officials
Representative for NHS Dumfries and Galloway
Representative for NHS Borders
Representative for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 
Representative for NHS Grampian
Representative for NHS Tayside
Representative for NHS Lothian
Representative for NHS Forth Valley
Representative for NHS Shetland
Representative for NHS Highland
Representative for NHS Lothian
Representative for NHS Lanarkshire
Representative for NHS24

Apologies:
Representative for NHS Western Isles
Representative for NHS Lanarkshire 
Representative for NHS NES

Items and actions

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Updates from Scottish Government

The Chair gave the group an update on the work of the short-life working group which has been set up to undertake a formal review of the delivery of annual health checks paperwork.  The Chair thanked members who had provided input to the prequestionnaire section update.

The Chair notified the group that the phlebotomy protocol had also been updated.

Data update 

An update was given confirming the new MORSE national template was now available for Boards to access. This has been shared with members of the Data Programme Board.

Officials advised that they would aim to set up a working group for each of the different systems and members would be invited to attend.

Request from Scottish Learning Disability Lead Nurse Group and SEND

As discussed at the previous meeting Scottish Learning Disability Lead Nurse Group are interested in getting an update on the variation of models used on the delivery of annual health checks across the Boards. This is at the request of the Scottish Executive Nurse Directors (SEND). The Chair thanked the Boards who had completed and returned their template which will be shared with SEND in January .

Health Board update presentation – NHS Dumfries and Galloway 

Colleagues from NHS Dumfries and Galloway gave a presentation updating the Group regarding the progress made in implementing annual health checks.

Following on from the presentation, there was a discussion amongst members around solutions to reduce the number of “did not attend” appointments. 

Members raised the need for more awareness raising on annual health checks. NHS24 colleagues informed the group that they are currently in the process of creating new learning disabilities content to be published on NHS Inform. One of the pages will be specifically relating to annual health checks. The group were advised that the proposed content has been shared with those with lived experience and their feedback is currently being considered.  It was agreed that NHS24 colleagues would be invited to speak about this in more detail in the new year.

AHC paperwork review – feedback from Boards

An update was provided on the work of the short-life working group which has been set up to undertake a formal update of the delivery of annual health checks paperwork.  The revised pre-questionnaire section of the health check had been amended by the working group, with a request that some questions were shared with the National Implementation Group for their consideration and feedback.

To allow members time to consider, it was agreed that the questions would be circulated round and feedback would be collated ahead of the next meeting.

Date of next meeting 

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 15 January 2026.