Matt Dixon, who was forced to tell his deaf father that he was going to die of cancer, has said that he feels nothing will change in the wake of a new report into how Deaf people access healthcare in York.
The report by Healthwatch, an organisation that represents the views of patients when accessing healthcare, reviewed the experiences and services available to Deaf people that use sign language living in York.
The report concludes that not enough is being done and that GP’s and hospitals are breaking the law by not providing communication support. They make a series of recommendations aimed at improving the situation but Mr Dixon, who is from York, is not expecting much change.
“I think it’s brilliant that an organisation like Healthwatch has taken the time to actually approach the deaf community of York and actually take direct feedback.” He said.
“I think it’s an excellent start. I sincerely hope that they replicate this in other areas of the UK but sadly I think the result would be exactly the same. I’m not confident that anything will change unless this type of reporting goes national. It feels like deaf issues just get ignored for now.”
The problem of deaf people not being fully engaged in their own healthcare is not just confined to York. Yesterday, the Guardian reported on the story of how two London deaf parents were denied an interpreter for the birth of their child and had no way of communicating with doctors about their baby’s condition during a week-long stay in hospital following complications.
This follows a string of examples where deaf people’s right to communication had apparently been denied, including a man being operated on without full informed consent being given; a patient left in bed for days without speaking to anyone and a deaf man dying after hospital staff confused his deafness for dementia.
Healthwatch consulted with both patients, GP’s surgeries and hospitals in York after the story of Mr Dixon’s father was published and other deaf people complained. The report conclusion reads:
“Access to health and social care services for Deaf people is unsatisfactory and so Deaf people are disadvantaged. This is likely to be in breach of the duties outlined in the Equality Act 2010, which requires service providers to avoid unlawful discrimination and to make reasonable adjustments. Under the Equality Act, it is considered a ‘reasonable adjustment’ for organisations to book appropriate communication support.
“Putting Deaf people at a disadvantage when accessing health and social care services could also be seen as a failure to comply with the Human Rights Act 1998 – in particular the right to be free of inhumane or degrading treatment.”
Among the recommendations, Healthwatch calls on GP’s and hospitals to:
· Provide deaf awareness training for all staff
· Promote interpreting services
· Review how appointments are booked
· Hold a walk-in service for Deaf people with interpreters provided
Mr Dixon, who is a trainee sign language interpreter and campaigns for the rights of deaf people, fears that the report’s strong words may go unheeded by decision makers.
“I just hope that the NHS actually take stock of the feedback that the deaf community are giving them. Deaf people have been ignored for far too long. There needs to be a massive shake up within the NHS. It’s not just deaf sign language users who are being affected – it’s the whole deaf community.”
Read the report by clicking here: http://www.healthwatchyork.
By Andy Palmer, Deputy Editor
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pennybsl
January 21, 2014
The recommendation omits a very important element, which is essential in a truly inclusive society with an inclusive workforce – having Deaf and HoH staff, be it in admin, medical, care-taking, etc.
To have competent Deaf staff being made available on hand as selected trained Deaf
professionals in Deaf Quality within Healthcare protocols would earn top marks in any inspectorate.
Many hearing professionals in all fields of public service have admitted the bonus of having Deaf peers in their expertise of work, and how much this particular dynamic enhanced their services towards BOTH Deaf and hearing users.
We Deaf professionals who have to strive 2-4 times as much to achieve our professional roles are constantly frustrated, even p****d off, at this extremely common-sense employment approach within the now fragmented NHS.
Healthcare managers MUST wake up to the fact that constant ignorance and sidelining of sane Deaf Awareness and employing competent Deaf/HoH staff in the NHS and private practice increases reduces actual risk of safeguarding to all Deaf, deafened, HoH and Deafblind patients.
The safeguarding of Deaf patients is legal: therefore on a daily basis the law is being broken incessantly by a huge tax-payer-funded monolith. Lastly never, ever forget the deaf patient is part of a family, workforce or community unit; implications of poor standards of Deaf-friendly healthcare and information have massive ripple effects within society, like tickling time-bombs
cherry
January 22, 2014
there is a review currently being had on information standards for accessible communication for us all to have our say here is the link to that http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/patients/accessibleinfo-2/
plus AoHL are running an event to specifically feed back into that. I received this intro last night from another deaf person going to AoHL event in London so worth finding out if AoHL are having events elsewhere in England to feed into this too, The London details passed to me are: Tuesday 4th February Time: 10.30am – 2pm Place: 19-23 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8SL and they has this info from contact Ayesha.Lalloo@hearingloss.org.uk who is Regional Administrator South England for AoHL Local Engagement
I keep saying the more people who flood the NHS feedback means our voices have to be heard and this is an opportunity to do so.
pennybsl
January 22, 2014
The real barrier is more non-action, non-action through consultations and surveys – the longer those processes happen, more deaf people endure undue stress and ignorance in healthcare.
There are many competent Deaf people with professional skills and procative stances ‘out there’ the NHS could recruit – at a tiny fraction of any budget – and see savings, even safeguarding of deaf patients, increase through this inclusive and two-way Deaf Issues approach within healthcare.