Resource packs to help make visits to the doctor easier for patients on the autism spectrum have been sent to all GP surgeries.
The aim of the packs, created by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) with help from Research Autism and the Autism Alliance, is to provide a standard framework to make surgeries more visibly friendly for people living with autism and to meet commitments in the RCGP Autism Patient Charter.
The packs include leaflets and guides for patients, advice for GPs on consultations with patients on the autism spectrum, and reports on two recent national research studies into autism spectrum conditions.
Dr Carole Buckley, who is the RCGP’s clinical champion for autism and a member of Research Autism’s scientific and advisory committee, said: “As a GP in Bristol and as a mother of a son on the autism spectrum, I know just how valuable this resource pack will be.
“Primary care staff need to know more than just the medical facts about autism. They also need to know the best way to provide the right kind of support to patients on the autism spectrum and their families.”
Click here for more information about the RCGP Autism Patient Charter and to download leaflets from the resource pack and for other useful information for patients with autism and their carers.
