WUTH spotlights commitment to autistic patients for Autism Sunday
Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH) is spotlighting its commitment to supporting the autistic community for Autism Sunday on 9th February.
Autism Sunday takes place on the second Sunday of February each year, raising awareness of autism, a neurodevelopmental difference that some people have which means their brain works in a different way from other people. Autism affects how people interact socially and with their surroundings, and so it’s important that when they come to hospital, staff make any adjustments needed to ensure they receive the same high-quality care as other patients.
WUTH staff are working hard to ensure they understand and accommodate the needs of autistic people who have to attend hospital, by seeking feedback direct from patients who come into the hospital, and via its Patient Experience Team who are running workshops, called patient promise groups, with the autistic community.
Helen Newell, Safeguarding and Complex Care Lead, said: “If anyone with additional needs comes into hospital, we urge them to let staff know so that we can make reasonable adjustments to ensure their needs are met.
“When a patient comes to hospital for the first time and tells that they would like additional support, we place a flag on their hospital record. This makes any clinical staff who are caring for the patient aware that they may need reasonable adjustments to be made to ensure their experience in hospital is the best it can be.”
The Trust has recently put in place a number of important initiatives to support autistic patients whilst they are in hospital.
It has appointed two new specialist nurses to its Safeguarding and Complex Care Team, who oversee the needs of autistic patients. Helen Templeton is a registered learning disability nurse, and Nicole Baines is a registered adult nurse.
As part of a national campaign, it has rolled out mandatory training for employees to help them understand and meet the needs of autistic people. All staff are now required to complete a training module, called the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. The training is named after Oliver McGowan, an autistic teenager whose death shone a light on the need for health and social care staff to have better training.
In 2024 a sensory care bag initiative was launched at WUTH to support patients in the emergency department and admission units. The care bags are designed to offer comfort and reduce stress for people with autism and people with learning disabilities. They include items such as noise-cancelling earphones, an eye mask, a sensory chew bracelet, and a colouring book with pencils. Each bag also contains an easy-read patient information leaflet and a feedback form to gather insights for continuous improvement.
For carers of autistic patients, WUTH provides a carer’s passport which entitles them to additional support and information, including a review around the possibility of staying overnight, if requested.
Sam Westwell, Chief Nurse and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Patient Lead, said: “As a Trust we are committed to improving the experiences of autistic patients. We recognise that this is an ongoing process of listening to their views, and we will continue to seek feedback from the autistic community to inform our work around any future patient improvements.”
ENDS
Photo: Safeguarding and Complex Care Team (left to right) Helen Templeton, Registered Learning Disability Nurse; Helen Newell, Safeguarding and Complex Care Lead; Nicole Baines, Registered Adult Nurse.