Sheffield hospital achieves prestigious Autism accreditation
Thornbury Hospital, part of Circle Health Group, has successfully achieved the National Autistic Society’s prestigious accreditation as facility that is committed to understanding and meeting the needs of autistic people.
The award evaluated everything from how services are delivered through to staff training. The award body recognised that the Sheffield based hospital was not only a safe and welcoming place for neurodivergent people, but also that the staff and doctors effectively met the needs of autistic patients. The National Autistic Society was founded in 1962 with a commitment to helping build a society that works for autistic people.
There are more than 700,000 autistic adults and children living in the UK and the charity aims to provide practical information and support to them and their families. In addition to supporting autistic people in the UK, the charity also works to change attitudes to autism, ensuring that businesses, government bodies and services are autism friendly.
As a large community hospital, Thornbury Hospital is acutely aware that their facilities and services need to be as accessible as possible to patients from across Sheffield, South Yorkshire and the wider area. To ensure that the hospital could fulfil this commitment, it worked closely with the National Autistic Society to understand what needed to be done to meet the needs of the people they represent.
This included amending processes so that information could be delivered to an autistic patient in a safe and friendly way. Staff also took part in specialist training to gain insight into how a neurodivergent patient may experience a hospital environment.
Each accreditation evaluates four sections across an organisation. The first focuses on employees and their understanding of how to effectively communicate with autistic people. The second and third, look at the service the organisation provides. In the case of Thornbury Hospital, the examiners looked at the hospital’s facilities and services. From the patient’s arrival at the hospital through to their discharge, in addition to the resources and information shared with patients and their families. Making sure spaces and information are accessible to autistic people is a key factor in deciding whether an organisation meets the required threshold. The final section is focused on the hospital’s role in being an ambassador and advocate for the needs of autistic people. In each category Thornbury Hospital received glowing reviews.
Not content with simply receiving the accreditation, staff and doctors at the hospital are exploring ways in which they can share their knowledge and expertise with other organisations in Sheffield. Moreover, the hospital is set to share their journey to becoming an accredited hospital with other Circle Health Group Hospitals, partners and healthcare organisations to better equip them to support neurodivergent patients.
Kosta Antoniou, Executive Director of Thornbury Hospital, said: “We are committed to being a welcoming and supportive environment for all patients. Working with The National Autistic Society has enabled us to improve and refine our hospital services to be fully inclusive for autistic patients. We hope to continue working closely with the organisation and share their determination to create a society that works for autistic people.”