New resources help RUH staff support autistic people

A new initiative taking place at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is seeing autism awareness cards being used to help staff better understand and support autistic people and their loved ones.

The cards, which have been introduced in response to patient feedback, provide autistic people with a different way to alert staff of their autism diagnosis so adjustments can be made for them, to improve their experience while at the RUH.

Departments display a poster asking patients if they are autistic, and beside the poster are cards that can be then passed to staff by patients if they wish to let them know that they are autistic.

On the back of the cards are a series of suggestions for staff about what adjustments they can make to improve the support for that patient.

In addition to the cards, a series of guides have also been produced for staff on how to support autistic people. The cards have been well received by patients. One piece of recent patient feedback said: “I was delighted to see an autism awareness poster in reception at the Breast Clinic. It was very eye-catching and it asked if the viewer had autism and to let staff know if they needed any assistance. It was really good to see.”

Jo Baker, Associate Director for Vulnerable People at the RUH, said: “We have received really positive feedback about the cards, which provide autistic people with a different way to let staff know they are autistic. We can then proactively make reasonable adjustments to help.

“We are always happy to make adjustments for our patients, to give them the best possible experience.

“The autism cards underline our commitment to ensuring the RUH is a place where everyone matters and is a friendly, welcoming environment for the people we care for.”