As everyone knows, last night’s Holby City (BBC1 – catch it here on BBC iPlayer) featured a deaf man and his daughter, played by See Hear’s Memnos Costi and HIS daughter, Kachina, who both acted brilliantly, especially as it was their first time.
However, it seems that the programme was a bit like Marmite – people either loved it or hated it – with the two main opinions being:
a) HOORAY! DEAF PERSON ON PRIME TIME TV! and, mostly:
b) OH NO! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!
To be honest, when the deaf man’s arrival was announced:
“Got a cardio/GS crossover coming in. 38 year old male, had a piggy-back heart transplanted three years ago. Collapsed with severe enteritis, most likely the anti-rejection meds.”
I knew this was not going to be good.
That kind of stuff is hard enough for a properly trained and qualified BSL/English interpreter to interpret, never mind the deaf man’s nine year old daughter.
Where do I start. Where were the hospital staff’s ethics? Their understanding of boundaries? Their professionalism?
Where was their respect for BSL as a proper language, or their understanding that their complicated medical language could not simply be translated by a kid, but should be interpreted by a proper interpreter?
Where was their common sense?!
Sadly, nobody mentioned a qualified interpreter – not even the consultant who had operated on the deaf man before.
He was her patient, but she used a few simple gestures to communicate with him, leaving the more complicated stuff to the man’s daughter to ‘interpret’.
“She’s on the ball, this one,” she even said at one point. She’s nine years old!
In fact, the poor kid seemed to be completely responsible for her father, even packing his hospital bag for him and managing his medication.
Couldn’t he take his own pills? If he needed help, couldn’t he have asked another adult?
At one point, the consultant typed on her mobile phone to clarify something for the deaf man after he got confused about the risks, then she had a go at the daughter for giving him the wrong information!
“You need to understand you can never do that again. He trusts you. We trusted you!” she shouted at the poor girl.
No. No, no, no.
I think it’s the hospital that needs to understand that THEY can never do that again.
They must never put a vulnerable child into a situation where she’s forced to interpret for her father, especially not a father who he needs HEART SURGERY.
They must pick up a phone and call a NHS-approved interpreting agency to book an appropriately qualified adult to come and do the job.
Why wasn’t a social worker or someone brought in to look after the poor kid while all this was happening? Why was she treated like some kind of modern day chimney sweep, then given the blame for overdosing her Dad?!
And yes, I know it was fiction, but deaf people everywhere constantly have to explain and justify our need for qualified BSL/English interpreters, especially in medical situations.
BSL is a proper language, and you can’t just bring any old signer in to wave their hands about, especially not a family member, untrained and underage.
Frankly, I’m surprised that the deaf man didn’t die in the end.
Well, thanks, Holby City, for including a deaf character. It’s just a shame that quite a few of your 5.3 million viewers will now think that deaf people should be looked after by our kids.
As for qualified BSL/English interpreters? Let’s not bother with those. Let’s just go back 20 years and start all over again.
If you have any comments about the programme, you can send them to the Holby City producers by going through this link. You can complain to the BBC here.
Jen Dodds is a Contributing Editor for The Limping Chicken. When she’s not looking after chickens or children, Jen can be found translating, proofreading and editing stuff over at Team HaDo Ltd (teamhado.com).
The Limping Chicken is the UK’s independent deaf news and deaf blogs website, posting the very latest in deaf opinion, commentary and news, every weekday! Don’t forget to follow the site on Twitter and Facebook, and check out our supporters on the right-hand side of this site or click here.
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Andy. Not him, me.
November 13, 2013
I >did< wonder whether that episode sent the wrong message.
People might think that it IS acceptable to put a child in that position and go ahead because they have seen it on TV.
What would make a dramatic episode is if they bring him back for more treatment and this time he dies because she was not up to translating for him. Moral of the tale : Get a professional.
Barry Critchfield
November 13, 2013
One step forward, two steps back — or perhaps two forward and one back. Either way, it seems we constantly beat our heads against a stone wall…
pennybsl
November 13, 2013
Groan…thanks, Jen, for this first-class bluntly realistic TV review (underpinned by Deaf Equality values, 21st Century).
I’ll get the sick bag ready when I watch one of my favourite storylines via BBC iPlayer. Wanted to relish seeing a Deaf character on well-known TV drama………. However now my viewing will be compromised by being aware of what is happening regarding ‘Deaf Awareness’.
It is all the responsibility of the TV scriptwriter and researcher, plus the director, to have allowed this level of access to be portrayed. Like it or not it still does happen today.
Monkey Magic
November 13, 2013
Why didn’t the BBC consult with NRCPD or ASLI or VLP? They would have come up pretty quickly in a google search. What a great opportunity it would have been to highlight the need to use qualified interpreters or to get the Our Health in your Hands campaign. Although now Our Health in Your Hands does now have an excellent example of what can happen to deaf people in hospital situations because people don’t bother to follow legislation or their own policies with regard to appropriate access. What a shame this episode has fuled the misconceptions around the need for appropriately trained, qualified and registered interpreters. Jen, you need to get this one on Points of View!!
jeremyhine
November 13, 2013
You beat me to it Monkey Magic, this is a great opportunity to raise the issue on Points of View (is it on at the moment?). On the positive side they used a deaf person (well done Memnos) to play the character. If they’d used an interpreter from the start then there wasn’t a story but they missed a great opportunity to get the message across at the end to say “we really cocked up and should have organized an interpreter for this person”
Deafnotdaft
November 13, 2013
My memory tells me the portayal of deaf awareness by the NHS in this programme was actually pretty realistic. Wasn’t there an incident reported on Limping Chicken a few months ago where staff at a hospital in Dundee were obviously unaware what BSL is, let alone who should do it?
Nikki
November 13, 2013
Aye aye!! Also I wonder why there is no family worker or social worker?! As it putting child in dangerous place! Where the child go home as father stay at Hossy! Also man was/is patient and they know he is deaf and they still not thinking abt using interpreter! If it was Poland man and the story plot will be very different!
Tina
November 13, 2013
It is the facts in real life that we don’t get interrupter or lip reading person as they never had the time for deaf people I did have trouble myself in real life u have to accept whoever is with you no matter if it is your children but I never bring my children which is true never get involue with Child but I had to bring someone with me a friend or adults as deaf people can get angry not able to fully understand. Every Hosptail always spoken out the name n not realised the parent is deaf and children come to parent to tell them that is me they calling which I must congratulation to deaf actor n his real life daughter. I have cochlear implants lots of place don’t know what that is and the most problem is cochlear implants aren’t allow MRI SCAN which affects my life n for consultation not able to find what is my problem is….
Cliff Jan
November 13, 2013
This was a realistic example of what often goes on in hospitals, for example staff not being aware of booking BSL interpreters. I feel this was the plot of the storyline, the shocking issue that a child was used as an interpreter, and the potential consequences were there for the hearing audience to see for themselves what a constant battle we have in raising deaf awareness at hospitals. Actually the programme started with the nurse not reading the notes and realising that the patient was deaf, this often happens. I feel that the programme succeeded in raising awareness of what deaf patients put up with. However, it was disappointing not to see the deaf father make an issue of booking an interpreter.
gargly
November 13, 2013
oh dear a few spoilers there in the literal sense..I won’t bother watching it via catchup lol
Tom Biggs (@BigTom68)
November 13, 2013
Sadly enough, this was/is real life here in the ‘states’, I’m afraid. I grew up this way, having to interpret for both my parents every time they went to the hospital or the doctor’s office, regardless of the situation. Thankfully, more awareness is being brought to the ’cause’ every day!
Jimmy Craw
November 13, 2013
I’m not a fan of soaps but took in Jen Dodds article about the rare occasion whereby a deaf man (a signer) acted as a seriously ill patient in the Holby City drama.
Since The BBC shut down Read Hear a wide ranging mainstream programme there has been a huge void left leaving thousands of deaf and hoh people bereft of what’s on in and outside of the hearing impaired domain.
Scenario’s from TV programmes involving the sensory disabled need be given more access to create public awareness therefore I trust The BBC will seriously reconsider putting the excellent Read Hear back on to it’s rightful agenda.
Good for Holby City to include a deaf signing actor within the programme nevertheless as things go it’s only once in a blue moon outlook for DEAF AWARENESS.
Lana
November 14, 2013
Why Memnos did not explain to storywriter that it is inappropriate to use a child as “interpreter”???? Maybe in his real life, he does this??
Irene Winn
November 14, 2013
I read the article with interest and as a trained HomeStart volunteer, I have to agree with many if not all the negative points raised. Having said that, look at the chatter about it. I wonder if any hearing people are hearing this and whether this will make them look, think and wonder. Perhaps the BBC would be interested in doing a programme about this very issue. In terms of awareness, the programme was a good thing.
stormy gal
November 14, 2013
For me I think it is good idea.. as it’s would wake people up that child or members of family isn’t enough to be interpreter for their family! Hope the hosptial watched it and realise how it’s struggling for child to interpreter for parents… that why we need to have qualifies interpreter to London provide for us in the hospital
Smarty
November 14, 2013
Erm….its a TV drama. Since when have they ever been very realistic?? And they are not shown with the purpose of raising awareness of deafness or anything else for that matter. There are there to entertain.
Sadly, it was representing something that does actually happen in hospitals. Family members are often asked to interpret, sometimes even at the request of the Deaf person. But it is not up to soap operas to comment on the rights or wrongs of this.
Terry Ruane
November 14, 2013
Interesting to read all the comments but by the time an actor arrives on set the whole script is set in stone. The problem here is a lack of pre-production consultation. Some NHS hospitals are still only providing CSW’s but I agree that the programme lost an opportunity to address the issue of family members having to interpret and blaming the poor kid for miscommunication and saying “he trusts you” is enough to scar any kid for life!!
Deafroger
November 14, 2013
Presumably the crew employed an interpreter during the making of this programme, so the question is (apart from the ethics issue) why did the Interpreter not at least mention to the producer that this was it is totally inappropriate to use a child to communicate for a parent in a healthcare situation.
In addition, although Memos was employed as an actor, he must have seen the script beforehand so he could, at least have mentioned to the producer that it was inappropriate to portray the scene in this way.
No one seems to have caught on with the fact that the child was accused of lying which is in effect child abuse.
Runaway Train
November 15, 2013
All the way through I was waiting, waiting, waiting for someone senior to come in and blast the staff dealing with the patient for not getting an interpreter – alas, that never happened. This was a thoroughly excellent opportunity to raise the issue of family interpreting; how on earth could they pass it up? *grumblegrumble*blastedhearies*grumblegrumble*
While it’s astonishing that on this occasion Holby City seemed to be fairly realistic, why oh WHY did they choose this particular issue to break from their usual world where things eventually are resolved? Unless further down the line it’s revisited and these loose ends tied up, it really sends an awful message to the wider population.
On a positive note, I did enjoy Memnos and Kachina’s acting!
pa55w0rd
November 16, 2013
Congratulations to the writers of Holby City!
You approached the subject of Deaf patients in the NHS absolutely spot on!
The episode highlighted the consequences of malpractice in the NHS and all other public services in the world.
Let’s see more of this on our TV
Congratulations to the Productions department for creating Equality of Opportunity in Employment!
a) A Deaf actor playing the role of a Deaf person – brilliant well done!
b) A genuine CODA portraying the role of a CODA – brilliant well done
And finally…
Memos’ acting was phenomenal! Normally when I am watching people we know very well acting in films/TV I cannot see beyond the actor themselves, but this guy really can act – totally in character no personal traits were allowed to slip in. Cool performance pal, hope Auntie gives you another role soon!
Janet Davies
December 3, 2013
As a CODA who experienced this over 40 years ago it is shocking and sad
to see nothing has changed.