Calls for policy to be put in place to support autistic children in Emergency Department

There should be a policy in place which would provide support for Autistic Children who present at the Emergency Department of Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) especially in light of issues with overcrowding, the chairperson of the Regional Health Forum West said at a meeting earlier today. 

Sinn Féin Councillor Gerry McMonagle was informed that there is no policy specifically for children with Autism in place at LUH, and informed that when a child is triaged in the Emergency Department (ED) and has a diagnosis of Autism, every effort is made to expedite their journey in the ED and where possible are cared for in a single room or an area with minimal activity and noise levels.

Cllr McMonagle said while he welcomed the answer it is important that a policy be put in place adding that the overcrowding situation in the emergency department is difficult for the majority of people to tolerate and could potentially add to the pressure or strain an autistic children is under. 

He said his knowledge of the hospital would lead him to believe that there are very few places, if any, where a space or room could be found to house an autistic child and their parents.  

The CEO of Saolta, Tony Canavan said it was an issue that could be looked at adding that there wasn’t a policy in place specifically regarding autistic children presenting at LUH. 

“There is a broader policy that is relevant which is around the provision of care to children in emergency departments and it was the HSE policy relating to the separation of children and adults in that environment and specifically the creation of a visual and audio separation so that they can’t be seen or heard across the barriers,” Mr Canavan said. 

He said that  the policy was not in place in LUH despite the fact it is a relatively new, large and busy facility. 

“We do have to look at opportunities around trying to provide that audio/visual separation for children within the emergency department and if there are opportunities to deal with the children with autism of course we will look at that if there are opportunities within that,” Mr Canavan said. 

Cllr McMonagle said children with intellectual disabilities and children with autism should not be subjected to trauma in emergency departments and that parents and carers should not be subjected to extra tension and pressure in the hospital environment. 

“They see an awful lot of trauma - things that children should not be seeing,” he said. 

He was told that plans which were at an early stage could see an extension at the Letterkenny-based ED. 

Mr McMonagle said he felt that it would be important to have a policy in place and that the proper procedures would then be followed.