Communication support call for deaf

DOCTORS and other health and social care practitioners in Halton are being urged to ensure residents who are either deaf or have hearing loss receive the right communication support.

The charity, Action On Hearing Loss, has made the call after a review by NHS England.

It found that almost a year since the Accessible Information Standard became law, more than half of the patients who responded to a survey have not noticed any improvement in receiving accessible information or communication support from NHS services.

It requires all publicly funded health and adult social care organisations to meet the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment or sensory loss, including the one in six people living with hearing loss and deafness.

The review found that more than two-thirds of patients had not been asked about their information and communication needs by NHS services over the last six months.

Almost a third also reported that they have never received the communication support they need.

The release of the review comes ahead of Care Quality Commission plans to incorporate adherence to the Accessible Information Standard into its inspection criteria, due to come into effect in October.

Action On Hearing Loss’s director of policy and campaigns, Roger Wicks, said: “The Accessible Information Standard was an important milestone – for the first time, health and social care organisations have been required to meet communication needs of people with hearing loss.

“It is clear, however, that more work is needed to ensure it is consistently implemented.

“While we know some patients have seen improvements, it’s vitally important that all patients are experiencing tangible, positive change.”