This research was carried out by Healthwatch Southend in May 2023.
Summary
Working with the Royal Association for Deaf People, Healthwatch Southend asked deaf residents in Southend what it was like to make an appointment with a GP and their experiences when they reach the surgery.
Sadly they heard about patients’ communication needs being ignored, making an often stressful experience even harder.
All services funded by the NHS must ask patients if they have special communication needs, make a record of this, with an alert or flag on medical records and take steps to ensure that those communication needs are met. The NHS pays for translation services, including British Sign Language, but research showed there were problems getting translators in time.
Read the report