Imagine going into hospital for several operations, without understanding exactly what was going to happen to you. You’d feel more than a little vulnerable, right? Well that’s exactly what happened to Michael May, a 27 year old BSL user from Plymouth.
The Plymouth Herald has reported how Michael, a patient at Derriford Hospital, had two operations despite being unable to understand the procedures he was going through.
Michael told the paper that in all his consultations and assessments he was given a BSL interpreter only once. The article reports how he felt “trapped” and as though he had been treated like a “second class citizen.”
Talking to The Herald through an interpreter, Michael said: “I feel so let down. The care I’ve had from nursing staff has been great but the communication has been a complete and utter breakdown.
“I’ve felt trapped. I’ve wanted to be able to understand things, be involved with my treatment and I couldn’t. I haven’t been able to understand my care. I have felt just like a doll in the system, a toy on a conveyor belt rather than a human being.
“I believe I’m not the only one. I think there are many deaf people who’ve had the same problems I’ve had. I feel we’re being treated like second-class citizens and we’ve had enough.”
Michael also told the Herald that he did not know what his most recent operation, on May 24, involved or why he has to inject himself in the stomach twice a day for six weeks.
The hospital has since apologised. However, major questions have to be asked about access to communication for Deaf patients in the healthcare system.
Research carried out earlier this year showed that over 80% of Deaf patients have felt frustrated after attending an appointment without an interpreter, which we reported on in this article. Rather than being the exception, what happened to Michael is increasingly the norm.
You can read the full story here: http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Hospital-says-sorry-deaf-patient-left-trapped/story-16302360-detail/story.html
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Tina
June 8, 2012
It’s actually absolutely terrifying, especially when you think of what can go wrong.
When I had my cochlear implant operation at a large London hospital which specialises in cochlear implants, the nursing staff were not deaf aware at all. Staff weren’t looking at me to lipread them, they were all foreign with heavy accents, I went without pain relief overnight after my operation due to a communication breakdown, I had a nurse with dark skin talking to me at 11pm on a dark ward (then I was labelled racist for mentioning that!!) … I wrote to complain and gave them solutions.
When I went back for my second cochlear implant, they had put all my suggestions in place and communication was fantastic. However the nurse assigned to me was unable to string a sentence together, I had to write everything down for her so she could complete the paperwork, and she was still getting it wrong, copying from my page to hers! Think of the ramifications for giving medication…. ugh! When I went down to the breakfast ward the day after that operation, the staff there were not deaf aware at all. One smacked my bed to wake me up (and if you’re totally deaf and asleep, you know what a fright that is). When a friend came to collect me and brought my hearing dog so I could take him home, the nursing staff told him to leave as he was upsetting other patients. My dog was just sitting there, not ausing any trouble at all, and he had been on the main cochlear implant ward with me the day before without any problems.The nurse kept directing questions to my friend instead of me. Another letter of complaint duly followed – from my friend (a registered nurse). They replied and basically said the other patients’ welfare was their concern and didn’t offer an apology.
I didn’t know at the time that I could have an interpreter. They had never bothered to ask me if I wanted an interpreter, and that box is on the hospital paperwork the nurses complete! They just ignored it entirely. It’s shocking and I hope I never have to go into hospital for anything serious.
Oh Dear
June 8, 2012
Oh dear……hospitals are for treating people and therefore needs to be very clean…..it’s bad enough that people turn up at the hospital filthy, smelly and spreading their unwanted germs because they can’t be bothered to have a shower beforehand…..and now a dog…..oh please….hearing dog for the deaf….ho ho…..they don’t need to be in places like hospitals…..in fact no animals should be allowed into hospitals….
Now before the loonies start banging on about human rights blah blah blah……get some perspective.
Pauline Roberts
June 8, 2012
This is an absolute disgrace. The psychological impact of these sort of happenings could be disastrous. It can be fearful enough for anyone when attending a hospital, even more so when D/deaf. One of the results of these could be panic attacks, generalised anxiety and phobias. The fear of what has happened before could prevent someone from going into hospital for vital treatment. The idiots (oops! I mean management) need to look at the wider picture. If it isn’t bad enough not being Deaf aware they just don’t seem to be looking “outside the box” as to the other repercussions. Words fail me that there still seems to be a lot lacking in this area, yet plenty of help for the more mundane issues in life.
Lana
June 8, 2012
A Muslim woman told me that pets are not allowed in a house so this is probably why some patients in the ward were not happy to see your well behaved hearing dog.
Tina
June 8, 2012
Hi Lana, a lot of Muslims are misinformed about dogs. My partner is a Muslim, knows the Koran very well, and there isn’t actually anything in the Koran on not allowing dogs into places or having a dog around you. I think it’s come out of ignorance and the general culture.
Catherine Seaman
June 8, 2012
The system is disgraceful and as Pauline Roberts states the psychological impact is bad! I am ashamed to admit that at 56 I cannot go to the doctors with anything, I just suffer in silence and the same with the dentists my first experience was as a young child shortly after losing the hearing and I can describe every detail of that traumatic time to this day. I went for a biopsy a few years ago and the doctor doing this wore a burka and was highly insulted because I asked for someone to tell me what she was saying. This just added to my fears.
Pauline Roberts
June 8, 2012
Lana: Many Muslims believe that the saliva from a dog is “unclean” that is why there is sometimes an issue. A recent case that hit the headlines was over a taxi driver that refused to take a man with his guide dog. I believe eventually his licence was taken away. However thankfully there are good cases. I have known of a couple of Muslim households that have allowed a pet for the sake of the children, usually a cat or rodent though. Regardless of this, it is very sad that with all the so called equal rights that this happened with the hearing dog.
barakta
June 8, 2012
Sadly I am not surprised. The hospitals should be taking some responsibility for booking in an interpreter if they think someone isn’t understanding – a deaf person doesn’t necessarily know we’re not understanding “you can’t know what you haven’t heard” kind of thing. Good practice like “tell me what you understand of what I say” would quickly show up non-understanding.
I don’t think hospitals’ deaf awareness has improved in the 32 years I’ve been in and out of hospital. We used to have a big sign above my bed saying that I was deaf with basic instructions and that still didn’t work.
I too don’t know how to say “I can’t understand many foreign nurses” without that being perceived as racism rather than a clash of issues which are understandable on both sides. It is unfortunate that I am better with (mostly white populations) North European accents than I am with (increasingly less ‘white’) Mediterranean, Indian or Asian accents. We need to keep talking about this, taking care to not attack the foreign individual but get it recognised as an issue we deaf people have and it’s not just us not trying or caring, it’s a genuine problem.
These days I cheat in hospitals and use my partner/mum as communication support. I don’t sign that well but I need people to get my attention before speaking, ensure I have a hearing aid in and glasses on, speak a bit slower/louder and I need them to give me time to process what they are saying otherwise I go a bit stupid and am not able to talk sense or remember anything afterwards. I find having a visible person with me named as “partner who is communication support” really does improve things and she gets to be sarcastic at really stupid deaf-fail.
Amanda
June 12, 2012
This is disgraceful treatment of (a) vulnerable adult(s), and clearly not an isolated case!
I am very sorry to read about the lady denied the company & assistance of her Hearing Dog…. it is well documented that these remarkable animals provide a vital support network for their owners and their wider families. I thought it was illegal to exclude a Service Dog from any premises?
It is well documented that animal contact promotes healing & general wellbeing in patients, and indeed many hospitals encourage visits from PAT (Pets as Therapy) Dogs – I used to own one of these incredible animals and it was quite remarkable to note the changes in patients & the elderly when we visited.
Deaf Umbrella
June 12, 2012
It is really sad to read the initial article and the subsequent comments left by other patients about their experiences.
It was extremely sad to read the comments about the excluded Hearing Dog (and the related one about the Guide Dog too) – Guide dog, Hearing dogs and other assistance dog owners have important rights under the Equality Act 2010 (EA). The EA provides for people with disabilities to have the same right to services supplied by shops, banks, hotels, libraries, pubs, taxis and restaurants as everyone else.
Service providers also have to make “reasonable adjustments” for guide dog and assistance dog owners. In 2004 the law was extended to state that service providers have to consider making changes to “physical features” which make it unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use their services.
Under Part 12 of the EA it is also illegal for assistance dog owners to be refused access to a taxi or mincab with their assistance dog. Medical exemptions are available if drivers have a certificate from their GPs. However, I am not sure on the law relating to hospitals – maybe somebody could enlighten me?
One thing is clear, it is well documented that access to animals promotes healing and a general feeling of well-being in patients. Some enlightened institutions admit PAT (Pets as Therapy) dogs to visit patients… this is a remarkable concept and works wonders. I have seen the results first hand – I used to own a PAT dog!
Tina
June 12, 2012
Thank you Deaf Umbrella.
Yes, Assistance Dogs are allowed into hospitals. Here is some further information for readers – http://www.assistancedogs.org.uk/faqs/
Tina
June 12, 2012
Thank you Deaf Umbrella.
Yes, Assistance Dogs are allowed into hospitals. Here is some further information for readers – http://www.assistancedogs.org.uk/faqs/
paulatsign
June 19, 2012
Awful story. So is Tina’s. Unfortunately, it is still a common experience. Complaining (nicely, but forcefully) can help. Usually, it’s not that staff want to be unhelpful. They just don’t know any better. If anyone is having a bad time getting access to a health service (e.g. no communication support provided) then SignHealth are happy to help. Just contact them via the website.