This book is the first text that encapsulates not only the origins of nursing in the learning disability field but also contemporary perspectives and areas for specialist nursing practice.

For many students of learning disability nursing, whether working in health or social care settings, their professional and historical roots remain largely hidden or are portrayed negatively through reported scandals and inquiries. This book therefore intentionally covers a significant part of the history of this branch of nursing and traces the beginnings of a unique colony for people known to be mentally deficient, in the context of society, and the creation of social policy which advocated a solution to what was called mental deficiency.


''...provides a fascinating and well-informed insight into the historical, contemporary and future perspectives of both learning disability care services and learning disability nursing in particular.''
British Journal of Learning Disabilities.


'This text is an essential read for nursing students and healthcare professional working in learning disability ... Excellent'. Charlie Sloan, mental health conversion student, Glasgow, in Nursing Standard, Vol 24, No 47.