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Deaf people still face barriers to accessing NHS, says report

Committee calls for better staff training and co-ordinated approach to support services

Health staff in London need to do a short training course in how to improve care for deaf people, a cross-party group of politicians has argued.

In a report examining the quality of health services for deaf people, the London Assembly health committee says some face as many challenges accessing health care as they did 20 years ago. The report also recommends that clinical commissioning groups work together, perhaps London-wide, to commission support services for deaf people.

The report was compiled with the help of expert advisers, including Katy Judd, a consultant nurse at University College London’s cognitive disorders clinic.

It states that the health of deaf people is poorer than that of the general population, with twice as many likely to have high blood pressure and four times as many likely to develop diabetes. Not enough healthcare providers have a British Sign Language interpreter present at appointments, the committee found.

‘Deaf people in London are more likely to suffer ill health than the rest of the population, largely because they face problems accessing health services that should be available to all,’ the report states. ‘Basic interactions, like making an appointment, or getting advice from a doctor, are harder for those with hearing loss, and this is putting deaf people off making use of the health service they are entitled to.’

Read the report (PDF)