GPs better able to help those with intellectual disability in Garda custody after training

Report said the right to medical assistance was 'a key safeguard' for a person detained in Garda custody and that psychiatrists had a valuable role to play. Picture: Denis Minihane

GPs who undergo training on intellectual disabilities report a far greater understanding and ability to respond when people with such conditions are in Garda custody, research indicates.

A small study of GPs interested in working with gardaí found a significant improvement in their knowledge and capacity to act after receiving training from a team of academics in University of Limerick, University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin.