Adult Learning Disabilities - Annual Health Checks Implementation Group minutes: July 2026

Attendees and apologies

In attendance:

• SG Officials
• Representative for NHS Borders
• Representative for NHS Grampian
• Representative for NHS Fife
• Representative for NHS Orkney
• Representative for NHS Shetland
• Representative for NHS Highland North
• Representative for NHS Highland Argyll & Bute
• Representative for NHS Lanarkshire
• Representative for NHS Tayside
• Representative for NHS Western Isle
• Representative for NHS Ayrshire and Arran
• Representative for NHS Lothian
• Representative for NHS Dumfries and Galloway
• Representative for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• Representative for NHS PSDS
• Representative for NHS24

Apologies:

• Representative for NHS Forth Valley

Items and actions

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Chair advised at future meetings SG officials will trial using a transcription system for note taking purposes. Members were encouraged to advise if they did not consent to this then to feedback to the SG team ahead of the next meeting.

The discussion moved on to the upcoming commission for the quarter one data collection for the year 2026-27. SG officials will be contacting health boards for this information imminently.

Following on from the last meeting which had a focus on reviewing the revised annual health checks paperwork (revised by the short-life working group (SLWG), Annual health check involvement network and NIG representatives), members were reminded to continue using the original paperwork.  The date to introduce the updated paperwork will be confirmed later.  

The theme of the meeting in August will be vaccinations and immunisations with presentations from Dr Ruth Dryden VIAD and Lindsey Milroy PSDS. The group were encouraged to extend the meeting invitation to public health colleagues in their area.    

2025-26 National data collection

Officials provided an update on the 2025-26 annual health check national data collection. It was confirmed that a submission has been sent to Ministers and that SG will contact the group to advise when the data is published.  The publication will follow a similar format to the previous years with data being broken down by health board and providing information on the amount of health checks offered, delivered and onward referrals.

Annual health check data programme update presentation

SG Data Advisor presented on data providing a data programme overview of the ongoing strands of work. 

As part of the national directions, health boards are required to compile registers of 14–15-year-olds with a learning disability.  An extract from Scottish Pupil Census identified 2,316 children receiving additional support for learning due to learning disabilities. The presentation provided a breakdown of 14–15-year-olds by health board and local authority who receive additional support for learning due to learning disabilities. It was agreed this paper would be shared with boards. 

The presentation looked at the ongoing work developing a digitised AHC form. Several members of the group are part of the development groups for both the MORSE system and TrakCare. There was a discussion in relation to Boards that do not have access to these systems. 

An update was the provided on the first phase of the PCIS data extract in which the data will be broken down by 5-year age bands, sex and health boards. Once this data is available it will be shared with boards.

Date of next meeting 

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 13 August 2026 – 13:00-14:00