Background There is growing evidence that people with intellectual disabilities have greater healthcare needs than the general population and that these needs are often unmet. Recently, increasing attention has been drawn to poor care received by people with intellectual disabilities when admitted to hospital. Method A literature search was conducted to identify studies on experiences of secondary healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities. Studies were published between January 1990 and March 2008. Results Thirteen studies were identified. Important influences on the experience of hospital care were: individual factors; the carer's role; the attitudes, knowledge and communicative style of health staff; and the physical environment. A range of recommendations and initiatives have been developed to improve hospital care. Conclusion More research is needed, given that so few studies are published in this area. Initiatives to improve access to secondary healthcare need to be evaluated to inform the development of services.

Objectives To explore the experiences of young children of living with a parent with bipolar disorder (BD) and how this impacts on their emotional well‐being. Design Qualitative study using a computer‐assisted semi‐structured interview, ‘In My Shoes’ (IMS). Methods Ten children aged between 4 and 10 years with a parent with BD identified via self‐help groups were interviewed about their experience of family life. Thematic analysis was used following transcription. Results Four main themes emerging from thematic analysis were as follows: perception of parents; knowledge and awareness of BD; managing family life with a ‘bipolar’ parent; and living in a family with BD. Four‐year‐old children could participate in the IMS interviews and discuss their parent's mood, behaviour, and mental health. Children had candid and insightful discussions about their parent's BD including symptoms and parenting, and could reflect on how having a parent with BD affected them emotionally and practically. Older children were better able to articulate their parent's illness and its impact. Conclusions This exploratory study represents an important step in examining directly experiences of young children whose parents have BD. Using IMS, it was possible to gather insightful information from children to generate hypotheses and influence service development. Children of all ages had some knowledge and understanding of their parent's illness, describing both positive and negative experiences in the family. Further research to build understanding of children's perspectives and the support they feel they and their family would benefit from would enhance the development of appropriate services and interventions. Practitioner points Using age‐appropriate tools, it is possible to elicit the views of young children about their parent's mental health and parenting. Young children have insight into the impact of bipolar disorder in the family on themselves and family members.

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