Why did you decide to join the accreditation process?

We took the decision to join the accreditation process because we thought it would be an honour to be associated with such a prestigious and recognised name as The National Autistic Society. This was a good opportunity to see if we could meet their high standards and give our autistic patients the best possible care and experience here with us at The Regency Hospital.

What and how effective was any support you received from their accreditation consultant?

The support we received from Rachel throughout the process was essential to making sure we were heading in the right direction with the accreditation and using the right terminology. Rachel was always on hand to answer our questions and gave us guidance, along with feedback, which was invaluable, we felt very supported throughout the process and beyond.

How did the audit framework support to reflect your practice?

The audit framework enabled us to look at our current standards and elevate them to the standards set out by the National Autistic Society.

It was very comprehensive, yet easy to navigate, the framework allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of our practice which helped to adjust and adapt to a new way of assessing where we needed to improve and what we were already doing well.

Can you provide some examples of things you developed and put in place?

We developed staff training sessions to raise awareness of autism and how it effects our patients and what they can do to help improve their experience with us. We improved our existing toolkits by adding extra communication aids to our patient passports. We were able to create a quiet area and provided support with a box containing neurodivergent-friendly items like ear defenders, fidget toys, communication aids etc. We hold an annual awareness week with lots of staff interaction, which helps to raise monetary donations and awareness for our local autism charity, which has enabled us to form a strong relationship with them, enabling us to offer our patients support and guidance directly from their service.

We have created new systems within Spire Healthcare to enable us to identify neurodivergent patients where necessary, enabling us to provide the best service and experience.

Has feedback from patients improved since doing the award?

Yes! We have received lots of positive feedback, one patient stated, "it’s refreshing to be seen and listened to". We have also received some lovely google 5* reviews "I am neurodivergent and they were so great with me and let me bring in my squish. They explained everything to me in a way I understood and were so kind and patient with me"

We provide feedback forms, which we encourage all our patients to complete, so we can continue to improve.

Would you recommend other medical professionals to sign up to the award and why?

Yes! We would highly recommend signing up to the accreditation! Not only is it a fantastic opportunity to look at how you are interacting with your autistic patients, but it also encourages you to create awareness and improve your service. The process helps you to provide the best possible care and experience for your neurodivergent patients along with the opportunity to be associated with such an amazing company, you can proudly say you are accredited! It’s hard work but worth it!