People with a learning disability and autistic people across the North East are set to receive more personalised, compassionate and effective care after North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) reached a major milestone in specialist workforce education.
More than 90% of NEAS staff have now completed Learning Disability and Autism training, helping ensure that when people need urgent or emergency care, ambulance crews better understand their needs, communicate more effectively and tailor their response to the individual.
As a result, the service has been awarded Diamond Standard accreditation by regional partners.
The training helps staff recognise that no two people are the same, reducing barriers to care and improving safety, experience and outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic people. It also supports efforts to address long‑standing health inequalities, including the significantly higher risk of premature death faced by this group.
The milestone builds on NEAS’s sector‑first Learning Disability and Autism training programme, co‑developed with people with lived experience, carers and advocacy organisations. Designed specifically for the ambulance service, the programme is rooted in real patient experiences and focuses on what matters most during an emergency.
Karen Gardner, Assistant Director of People and Development at NEAS, said:
“This training is about making care better for patients. It helps our staff understand people as individuals, recognise their needs and adapt how they respond in what can be a very stressful situation.
“Reaching over 90% of our workforce is a significant milestone, but what really matters is the difference this makes when someone with a learning disability or an autistic person needs our help. It supports safer care, clearer communication and a better experience for patients and their families.”
A key part of the programme’s success has been its co‑production. People with lived experience helped shape the training through workshops and by sharing honest accounts of using ambulance services—what worked well and what needed to improve.
Mica Hoare, from Independent Voices in Redcar and Cleveland, who was involved in developing the training, said:
“We wanted to help ambulance staff understand us, so they can help us. When staff know more about learning disability and autism, it makes a real difference.
“Knowing that so many ambulance staff have now completed this training gives confidence that people like me will be listened to, understood and treated with respect when we need care.”
The programme was developed in collaboration with the North East & North Cumbria Learning Disability and Autism Network, helping create a consistent approach across the region while reducing duplication and variation.
With the majority of staff now trained, NEAS will continue to embed the learning into everyday practice, ensuring people with a learning disability and autistic people are seen, heard and supported when they need emergency care most.