ATTITUDES OF GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS TOWARDS HEALTH-CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND THE FACTORS UNDERLYING THESE ATTITUDES

An intellectual disability attitude questionnaire was used to explore the attitudes of general practitioners (GPs) towards primary health ca re, organizing health promotion and the role of specialist services fo r people with intellectual disability. The results of this questionnai re from GPs in Gwent (Wales) and GPs in west Gloucestershire (England) were compared. The GPs in both areas responded similarly and tended t o agree that they were responsible for the medical care of people with intellectual disability in the community. They also tended to feel th at the move from hospitals to the community of people with intellectua l disability would greatly increase their workload. The GPs in both ar eas were generally against a responsibility on their part for health p romotion and health screening initiatives for people with intellectual disability. However, GPs in west Gloucestershire felt more strongly a gainst these issues. Further analysis of the data revealed factors whi ch influenced the response of GPs to the questionnaire, including thei r position regarding health promotion and screening, and their view of the role of specialist health services. The GPs generally felt that c ommunity learning disability teams provided useful support, and there is clearly scope for team members to liaise more closely with GP pract ices and to provide helpful information to GPs about intellectual disa bility and the specialist health services available. Professionals see king to work collaboratively with GPs should be sensitive to their wor kload pressures and to their attitudes towards health promotion initia tives and health screening.