We were delighted to fund 500 care bags for patients with learning disabilities and autism to make them feel more comfortable in hospital.

The free sensory bags includes earphones, an eye mask, fidget board, colouring book and crayons, a stress ball and sensory bracelet and a tag that doubles as a referral to the acute liaison team.

Hellen Odiembo, lead nurse specialist for learning disability and autism (LD&A), said: “The bags provide a welcome distraction and help occupy autistic or LD patients who may find waiting in an over-stimulated environment like a hospital challenging.”

“I am one of only two learning disability nurses in the trust so this is a simple but effective tool nurses and LD/Autism champions can give patients to calm them.

“The bag isn’t going to work for everyone but is useful for nurses with little or no experience of interacting with these patients.”

The three-person LD&A team receive up to 35 referrals a day which involves travelling between three sites to support patients and staff as well as providing training and attending multi-disciplinary team meetings.