"Not supportive of additional needs!"

Unfortunately I’ve had to use the A&E department a lot this year, and on my last visit I was admitted for a while to a ward.

A&E first wouldn’t allow my carer in with me. I have Autism, severe mental health issues and various other conditions that I need constant support with. So I was left alone trying to cope with a busy and unpredictable environment, that I struggled with due to my autism and a sensory processing disorder, that was also exacerbated further by my stress & anxiety. I understand not everybody needs their carer with them in A&E, and also that Covid is still very much around-but there should be, and needs to be certain exceptions on a case by case basis.

I was left with no food for 16 hours, and because of my needs I couldn’t go out to find food as I needed my carer and was far too overwhelmed. There was also many pensioners who were immobile, and they were hungry and dehydrated. Food needs to be provided whilst you are battling with longer wait times, as we cannot send a member of family or carer to fetch things because they are not allowed in, and staff are too busy to sort it for us.

Once admitted I was forced to allow somebody to do a covid test on me, despite having covid 2 weeks previously so it would come back positive. I asked to do the test myself due to trauma and my autism, and I wasn’t allowed to do it myself supervised. I was then left crying hysterically due to feeling so poorly and being forced to allow a nurse do it.

I was then kept in clinical decisions whilst waiting to be moved to city. I was moved so many times from different areas off the hospital, which was horrible as a person with autism on my own and in a strange and busy place. I was hooked onto a drip and needed to take my top off for a ecg. The nurse helped me remove it, but walked out after my ecg and I couldn’t put my top back on as my drip was hooked up. I had no buzzer to call somebody and so was left sat with no top on for hours.

I was moved to SRU and was placed on a bay, when I asked for a side room due to my Autism and sensory processing disorder. The side rooms were all empty, and I didn’t get any sleep due to hypersensitivity to the noises and environment: I was so hot I asked a nurse to get me a fan and she huffed. Then she took it off me for somebody else. Why only 1 fan on a unit?

I was then moved to Berman ward and shoved back on another bay, but thankfully ended up with my own room eventually. Despite all wards saying carers had open visiting, mine was not allowed and so I didn’t eat whilst at hospital until he took me off the ward to eat. People need their needs assessing on a case by case basis, as some are being let down.