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II think it's time the hospital brought their understanding ...

Posted By hwx96

"II think it's time the hospital brought their understanding up to a better level."

About: Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

(as a service user),

I have been in and out of hospital and as an autistic person I genuinely feel it is time the hospital, busy as I know it is, put in a far better training in the understanding of just how challenging such an environment is for people like me, I have been repeatedly told autism is no excuse for panic attacks, or being so scared or feeling so vulnerable. I have been shown very little understanding if I ask to go into a quiet room. I seem always to get put next to all the computer noise or bright lights or machinery, even when I see empty beds in quiet places. The very best thing the hospital could do for a very ill person who just happens to have autism too, is to have someone in the hospital who can be sent to help someone finding the environment frightening and abject. Whilst I do realise how busy the staff are and wards are, I think it's time the hospital brought their understanding up to a better level.

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Responses

Response from Teresa Sturm, Matron, Patient Experience Team, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust last month
Teresa Sturm
Matron, Patient Experience Team,
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

My role as matron in the patient experience team covers both northern and eastern service at Royal Devon.

Submitted on 22/03/2024 at 13:59
Published on Care Opinion at 13:59

picture of Teresa Sturm

Dear hwx96

Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us and I would like to reassure you that Royal Devon are committed to improving the experience for all people who access our services and I am really sorry for your experience. Autism is a spectrum condition that affects people in different ways and there remains a lot of misconceptions surrounding the condition. Firstly I would like to let you know that Royal Devon staff are mandated to complete the Oliver McGowan training to support skills, knowledge and understanding of the needs for autistic people and people with a learning disability.

We now have our electronic health record system to support staff and patients can download the MyChart patient portal app. Staff can add important information to a reasonable adjustments flag on the patient's notes to record communication preferences and sensory sensitivities so please let us know if you visit us again so we can ensure this is recorded on your record. Any relevant information regarding a patient's Autism diagnosis and what individualised adjustments they need can be put into free text within the flag.

There are also a number of Autism Hospital Passports available which could be completed if you haven’t done so one already, this can also be uploaded electronically onto your electronic health record. We are also launching our AccessAble guide very soon which I hope will reassure you we are listening and learning to make improvements to support our patients and service users.

If you would like to contact to me further please email me and I would be happy to chat to you rduh.patientexperience@nhs.net

Thank you again,

Teresa

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