Department of Health Pays for SignHealth in every doctor's
surgery in England
Last year
you may recall, the Department of Health published a report
"Towards Equality and Access". This highlighted the fact that
Deaf people:
-
Have
major problems accessing primary care services
-
Receive much poorer treatment and worse health outcomes
-
Face
discrimination
One of the
recommendations in the report was that "the BSL/English
translation software developed by Sign is made available
to primary care providers as speedily as possible".
If you have
not already seen SignHealth, it will radically improve a d/Deaf
person's access to primary health care, where there is no
communication support. At the click of a button, doctors,
nurses, receptionists and patients can select from a number of
specially designed questions on the screen which are linked to
video clips of someone signing the question. The deaf patient
can answer "yes" or "no", or choose from a list of answers.
Below each singing clip is a written version of the question,
which can be enlarged for those with eyesight problems.
Information
sheets can be printed and given to the patient. Details of how
to take medications can also be printed, as can information on
useful organizations and contacts.
The program
is also available in 12 other languages for those with limited
English.
The program
is not a replacement for an interpreter, but when no interpreter
is available it is an essential aid.
PCTs have
all been given money (£2.5m in all) to implement the
recommendations in the report, but to help the launch of
SignHealth, the Dept of Health has purchased it centrally, to
enable us at Sign to introduce SignHealth into all PCTs
in England for a limited period free of charge.
By now, we
hope all PCTs have informed GP surgeries within their Trust that
SignHealth is available. We are keen at Sign that
organizations serving the d/Deaf community are fully aware of
the system and able to inform their members, so that they can
use it when they next visit their doctor.
So that is
where we would appreciate your help.
Firstly
anyone who wishes to see a 'restricted version' of the program
can log on to www.signhealth.com
User:
deafcommunity
Password:
demo
Enter your
email address and Click login and SignHealth will appear.
We attach a
flyer which can be photocopied and used to give out to members
who are interested explaining what SignHealth is all about.
Finally, we
know that PCTs are not spending the money they have been given
on improving services for Deaf people. Often it is being used to
fund their deficits. By letting the d/Deaf community know of
SignHealth's availability we can start the process of improving
access.
Sign
is The National Society for Mental Health and Deafness
Voice: 01494
687600
Minicom:
01494 687626
Fax: 01494
687622
Email:
info@signcharity.org.uk
