Write to the Primary Care Trust (PCT)

This is quick and easy and can have an impact on many GP practices within your area. Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are responsible for arranging healthcare within an area. The purpose here is to persuade the PCT to include information from ‘It All Adds Up’ in their continuing professional development materials.

What to do

• Phone your PCT to find out the name and job title of the person who has responsibility for continuing professional development and the person with responsibility for disability or carer issues.
• Write a short (one or at most two page) letter to these people, asking them to consider using the information in ‘It All Adds Up’ in their future continuing professional development materials. We have put together a template (word, 27kb) to help you.
• Send your letter with a copy of ‘It All Adds Up’. If you do not get a response within about a month, give them a call to remind them about it.

To have impact

• Be clear and up-front about what you want them to do – include information in future continuing professional development materials.
• Describe the prevalence and impact of deafblindness in older people and the support that is available.
• Explain why it is so important that GPs identify and refer older deafblind people for support.
• Use personal experience to bring the issue to life. For example, describe how support has helped an older relative who is deafblind. Alternatively, use one of the case studies from ‘It All Adds Up’.
• If you are happy to do so, offer to meet with them to discuss it further.
• Ask them to let you know what they plan to do about it.

End by repeating the request for them to include information in future education materials.