"Kind, understanding and accommodating"

A few months ago, I went to the Cumberland walk-in centre in Plymouth due to an ear infection. I've been meaning to send my thanks in some way for a while, so I thought I'd share here.

I usually have a very hard time accessing help when something goes wrong and have a lot of fear around using medical services and struggle a lot with leaving the house in general, so this experience really stands out.

I've never felt so understood and genuinely cared for like I did at this walk-in centre. They immediately understood that being autistic made it harder for me to both explain my symptoms, and be in a loud and bright environment and did their best to accommodate, which made things so much better (waiting somewhere quieter, and I think for less time because it was a surprisingly short wait). Just a few small changes prevented what could have led to a meltdown.

They were also very respectful of me being trans and even updated my name and gender on their system to make things easier when it came to attending A&E later and picking up my prescription. I was very nervous about going because of this as I worry being a nuisance or encountering someone unkind, but they were very understanding.

Due to the redness behind my ear, I was told that I needed to go to A&E just in case it was more serious. They were very apologetic because they knew I'd struggle in A&E (busier, louder, huge wait etc.) and helped create a plan for going, booked transport on my behalf, and made sure to inform the hospital of my needs which made the experience a lot less stressful. It later meant that I had the option to wait outside of A&E without having to explain why this might be hard for me, and again avoided what usually may have resulted in a meltdown from sensory overwhelm.

I wish more services were like this; kind, understanding and accommodating. I was treated with respect and like a human being.