BREAKING: NHS England contracts SignHealth to deliver ‘ground-breaking’ BSL Talking Therapies

The Deaf health charity SignHealth has been awarded a national contract from NHS England to supply Talking Therapies in British Sign Language (BSL), in what’s been described as a “ground-breaking step forward for the Deaf community”.

The BSL therapy, which supports those experiencing anxiety and depression, is the first specialist Deaf service to be awarded a contract by NHS England, with SignHealth saying the agreement removes “a major funding barrier” to mental health services.

Dr Sarah Powell, clinical lead at the charity, said: “Deaf people are twice as likely to experience mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety compared to hearing people. This is a serious and sometimes life-threatening health inequality. 

“Therapy delivered in sign language has been proven to have higher recovery rates and we are delighted that this contract removes the funding barrier so that more Deaf people are able to access life-changing treatment.”

https://twitter.com/SignHealth/status/1501485681696198658?s=20&t=LKruTIbSMx0J-XQgUT8sRg

When asked by The Limping Chicken why the contract has only now been agreed by NHS England, Dr Powell highlighted evidence that the current approach has not been working for “many areas”.

She said: “We had to spend a lot of time gathering the evidence, to show those authorities why it’s not working.

“Lots of Deaf people try mainstream [services] and they’ve not been happy. It’s not worked for them, and they come to [SignHealth’s] service, and then the CCG says, ‘no, no funding’, and they go back.”

The new accessible therapy means Deaf people can access talking therapy in their own language, and do not have to rely on local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to approve funding on an individual basis – a process described by SignHealth as “complicated” which “often resulted in a postcode lottery” in terms of support.

The news also follows draft NHS guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in November, which recommends patients with less severe cases of depression are offered therapy, exercise, mindfulness or meditation before being prescribed anti-depressants.

Claire Murdoch, National Mental Health Director at NHS England and Improvement, said of the contract: “We are extremely proud to be able to provide an NHS Talking Therapies service for deaf people through our contract with SignHealth.

“NHS England strives to ensure equal access to healthcare for all and we hope that this partnership will help support deaf people to access all the therapies available to them, improving their NHS experience and outcomes.”

Christopher Reid, SignHealth’s director of operations, added: “[We have] been working towards this breakthrough for years, and we are delighted to finally remove this funding barrier for access to mental health services.

“Demand for our therapy service has grown significantly over the last year as the pandemic has taken its toll on mental health, and we welcome this new approach from NHS England at this crucial time.”

SignHealth said it has seen a “significant increase” in referrals to its BSL therapy during the pandemic, with a 2020 survey from the charity revealing that one in three deaf people said the coronavirus crisis has had a “major negative impact” on their mental health.

Deaf BSL users in need of mental health support can refer themselves for the talking therapy on SignHealth’s website.

Photos: SignHealth.

If you need any mental health advice and support, you can contact the crisis text line by texting DEAF to 85258. Messages are confidential and free on the EE, O2, Three and Vodafone networks.

More information and support is also available on SignHealth and Deaf4Deaf’s websites.

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By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.

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Update – 09/03/22 – 10:00: In response to a request for comment by The Limping Chicken about the steps it was taking to secure similar provisions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, a SignHealth spokesperson said: “We believe all Deaf people deserve access to therapy in their own language. 

“We are hopeful this breakthrough in England will show what is possible in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too.”