An NHS fit for autistic people
National Autistic Society Young Ambassadors call on the Health Secretary to close the #AutismHealthGap
The National Autistic Society’s Young Ambassadors are a group of young campaigners aged 16 – 24 who want a society that works for all autistic people. In October 2024 they led a campaign to highlight the difficulties they, like many autistic people, face when they simply need healthcare.
For autistic people, going to the GP or hospital can be stressful, overwhelming, or unhelpful. 80% of autistic adults report difficulty visiting a GP, yet autistic people experience some of the greatest inequalities in society, including the worst mental health outcomes of any group.
The Young Ambassadors shared their experiences of accessing healthcare, and wrote to Wes Streeting, with the support of almost 2,500 members of the public.
“A&E is an incredibly overstimulating environment, with so many different sensory, communication and relationship challenges. The lights, the noise, the busyness, constantly meeting new people, retelling your story, being moved from room to room is enough to send us into a sensory overload.”
A lack of understanding is not only distressing, but can lead to misdiagnosis, prolonged stays in hospital and poorer health outcomes. It can leave people reluctant to seek the care they need in the future.
"I have had medical professionals mistake my autistic shutdown as being sedated which has left me with medical trauma. This has then impacted other healthcare experiences."
To address this critical issue, the Young Ambassadors prescribed a round of CPR
- Consult – directly with autistic people on our experiences of the healthcare system to learn about the healthcare barriers and poor health outcomes we face and the adjustments that could make a big difference.
- Practice – Put these adjustments into practice across all healthcare services to create an NHS fit for autistic people.
- Review – Continue to seek our views regularly, come back to us to find out what is working and what still needs to change.
This campaign was planned, created, and led by our group of Young Ambassadors. Thank you for all your hard work and creativity.