BUCK STOPS EAR
WOMAN TAKES ON HEALTH GIANT
A HEARING-impaired woman is on a crusade to stop the city’s largest health organisation from allegedly discriminating against deaf people.
Jennifer Gay says patients at Gold Coast Health face being cut from waiting lists because they are forced to turn up in person or telephone to confirm outpatient appointments.
For people like Ms Gay, phoning in is impossible as she has severe hearing loss and cannot use a phone. She says Gold Coast Health’s practice is discriminating – and she has the backing of People With Disabilities Australia which says the public health provider has exposed itself to formal complaints under the Disability Discrimination Act.
Ms Gay said she was shocked to receive a letter from Gold Coast University Hospital this year telling her she “must telephone to confirm” her appointment or face cancellation or removal from a waiting list within five working days.
“The hospital should have a variety of different ways to communicate and confirm appointments especially those that identify as deaf or hearing-impaired or have other disabilities,” she said.
“I asked different people verbally from (Gold Coast University Hospital) and it does not seem to get through or just end up with lip service.”
Ms Gay, who communicates by lip reading, said patients should be able to text message or email hospitals.
People With Disabilities Australia senior policy officer Sam French said many other health organisations embraced text messages as a way to contact patients with specific disabilities.
Ms French said she thought Gold Coast University Hospital had exposed itself to a complaint under the Disability Discrimination Act but said she did not know whether such a complaint would be validated. “I think they are leaving themselves open to a complaint under the disability act,” she said.
Gold Coast Health said they would consider changing the wording, adding: “We thank Jennifer for raising her concerns about the wording of patient advice in our outpatient letters and acknowledge the current alternatives available to contact the hospital may not be clearly evident in the letters.
“Our preference is to confirm outpatient appointments in person or over the phone… However, we provide a range of interpreter and other services to support our patients. Another option is to have a next of kin or carer confirm the appointment.”.
However, Ms Gay said many patients did not have a family member to lean on.