Matt Kirby: I’d like a real interpreter in hospital, not a ‘tablet interpreter’ (BSL)

I have logged a complaint to the hospital about my son’s ear infection last week.

We went to the hospital at around 2.30am and my son was seen by a nurse and a night doctor. We had to wait until around 10am to see a paediatric doctor for a consultation.

To watch Matt sign his article, click play below:

I asked for a BSL interpreter to attend the meeting, but I was told they’d provide a VRS service (not SignVideo or SignLive). I felt they should provide a proper interpreter rather than through a tablet.

This was our first experience with the ‘tablet interpreter.’ The doctor arrived with the robotic tablet stand. When the doctor spoke, the interpreter signed.

There was one point when the interpreter asked me to move out of the way so she could have a one-to-one with my wife. I felt insulted to be left out of the conversation. After my wife had talked to the ‘tablet interpreter’ she had to explain everything to me.

So I complained to PALS (Patient Advice and Liason Service) and to Limping Chicken.

Where are my access service needs? I felt it was poor. I felt we needed proper face-to-face interpreters in order to have a proper conversation. I felt as though I was being told information later, like I was a child with my parents. It was just like that!

I was really disappointed with it, so I complained. It doesn’t meet deaf people’s needs. It should be our choice what kind of interpreter we have, not the hospital’s choice. I think it all comes down to money.

If anything had gone wrong with my son, who’d be to blame? The hospital, the doctor? Or the ‘tablet doctor’?

Matt Kirby is a Deaf actor who appeared in Text Batteries & Earwax, Hands Solo, The Fingerspellers, Four Deaf Yorkshiremen go to Blackpool, and many more. He’s also a part time worker in the health industry, and a first time dad.