Two interactive sensory panels are in place in side-rooms in A&E and the adjacent Acute Medical Unit (AMU) at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which can be made available for patients who would find it beneficial.
The new equipment is part of a series of improvements to make the hospitals a more neurodiverse friendly environment and the screens have been kindly funded by Sheffield Hospitals Charity.
The panels create snowfall effects, light and sound effects in response to noise and voice and can help to prevent dysregulation and anxiety in patients who find A&E a particularly difficult setting. This can help to make patients calmer, more relaxed, and better able to cope with waiting and treatment.
Two mobile sensory projectors have also been purchased and will enable sensory support to be available in different locations.
Rebecca Powell-Wood, Learning Disability and Autism Professional Lead, said: “A&E can be a particularly challenging environment for people with autism or neurodiversity due to its fast-paced, unpredictable, noisy and busy nature. We hope this equipment will help to provide a calmer experience which in turn will have a positive impact on patients being able to receive their care with as little distress as possible. If it can help to provide a better first experience then it can improve the whole hospital journey.”
Shasta Ashraf, Director of Grants at Sheffield Hospitals Charity, said: “We are delighted to provide funding for sensory panels at the Emergency Department. Attending A&E can be particularly hard for people who are neurodiverse and the experience can be incredibly overwhelming. We’re proud to make A&E more inclusive and comfortable for neurodiverse people and we’ll continue to support patient centred experiences as one of our funding priorities.”
Published: Tuesday 20th of May 2025