Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust’s learning disability service is celebrating after being shortlisted for a national award.

Waddiloves health clinic has been named as a finalist in the specialist services category of the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards.

The awards are the most prestigious and sought after awards in UK health. They champion the best practice and innovation needed by healthcare providers to overcome the challenges that face the sector.

Waddiloves, in Bradford, specialises in helping people with learning disabilities that struggle to access mainstream services, to have their physical health needs met.

Lesley Taylor, clinic lead nurse for the health facilitation team at Waddiloves, said: “We saw that people with learning disabilities that found it difficult to get to routine appointments were not having their health needs met and health conditions that were easily treatable were being missed or going untreated.

“Waddiloves health clinic allows us to plan treatment with a number of specialists all in once place, meaning we can carry our more than one treatment at the same time which is useful for people who might have anxieties towards accessing treatment, such as having their eyes or ears checked, as they only need to attend the once.

The clinic has dedicated health care workers that help people to get used to coming to the clinic in small, staged steps, in a safe and accessible environment. This helps reduce their anxiety level so eventually they don’t worry about coming to busier clinics.”

The team will now make a presentation to a judging panel make up of senior influential figures from the healthcare sector, before the winners are revealed in May.