The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has called for all IT systems across NHS Scotland to be made neurodiverse friendly.
The campaigning came at the STUC Disabled Workers Conference this week alongside further calls to raise awareness and understanding for neurodiversity workplace policies.
Approximately one in 10 people in Scotland are neurodivergent – a term often used to refer to people with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.
If the country’s percentage is reflected in workplaces across NHS Scotland, that would mean around 18,000 neurodivergent employees from the circa 180,000 in the Scottish health service would benefit from neurodiverse friendly policies.
According to the RCM, the digital technology embraced during the NHS’s shift from paper has not accounted for the needs of neurodivergent employees.
The union has indicated a neurodivergence acceptance tool kit will be launched for its members at the RCM annual conference in May 2024.
RCM’s national officer for Scotland, Emma Currer, said: “Making IT platforms more neurodiverse friendly is something that matters to our members. We’ve really seen an increase in requests from our members in Scotland looking for support and advice with neurodiverse challenges in their workplaces.
She continued: “NHS Scotland needs to ensure that we aren’t leaving staff behind, particularly those employees who need it most. We know the increased use and reliance on computers, software and systems has for some of our members meant a loss of confidence in skills causing significant barriers. This has increased work stress, capability issues and absences in some services.”
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