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The new All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss focuses on what people should expect to receive when they access healthcare. These standards apply to adults, young people and children.

The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust’s Pre-Hospital Communication Guide uses pictures and words to explain to people what Welsh Ambulance Service Trust need to do for them, and for the service user to give Welsh Ambulance Service Trust important information about themselves and their particular circumstances.
There is a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to deliver equality of access to healthcare services for disabled people.  This duty is anticipatory and requires public bodies to be proactive in making adjustments to ensure all access and communication needs are met.  

Speaking of the new guides Welsh government Health Minister Mark Drakeford said:

“The NHS must be accessible to all groups and these Standards – once fully implemented - will help to address the barriers that people with sensory loss face in accessing health services, particularly in helping staff to identify patients with sensory loss and meeting their needs.  They apply to all parts of the health service and right across the age range.”

There are 534,000 people in Wales with hearing loss, expected to rise to 725,000 in the next 18 years, while 70 per cent of people aged 70 in Wales also suffer hearing loss.
The Health Minister went on to say:

 “The All Wales Standards have been shaped by people with sensory loss, working collaboratively with Welsh Government, the NHS Centre for Equality and Human Rights and other key stakeholders and the Standards are the first of their type in the UK.  Commitment to tackle the difficulties faced by the sensory loss community when accessing healthcare services is reflected in our Programme for Government.”

Within the UK nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of blind and partially sighted people cannot read the personal health information provided by their GP. A similar proportion did not receive information from their hospital (either as an outpatient (74 per cent) or an inpatient (77 per cent)) in a format they can read themselves. This can compromise their privacy and independence.

Welsh Ambulance service NHS Trust Chief Executive Elwyn Price-Morris said:

“We recognise communication difficulties is a patient safety issue.  

“Good communication between our frontline staff and patients and their families will result in better care and treatment.  

“In developing the Pre-Hospital Communication Guide we are confident that we will be able to fully assess the needs of patients and provide safe, effective treatment as well as identify the specific communication needs of our patients and share this with NHS colleagues.”

Richard Williams, Director of Action on Hearing Loss Cymru added:

“These standards have been shaped by people who are deaf and hard of hearing, born out of their real-life day-to-day experiences as patients within the NHS in Wales.

“We are pleased that the Welsh Government and Welsh health boards are supporting this work and going forward we hope that these standards will make a big difference for the 530,000 people with hearing loss across Wales and also set a precedent for how services are delivered for those with a sensory loss across the UK.”

Tony Rucinski,  Chair RNIB Cymru said:

"RNIB Cymru is the largest sight loss organisation in Wales. Alongside our extensive campaigning work, we provide frontline services and support to blind and partially sighted people across Wales, both directly and through a network of partners.

"There are currently nearly 100,000 people in Wales with sight loss, and the number of people with sight loss is expected to double in the next 25 years. It is critical, therefore, that services are delivered in a way that meets their needs. We know from our members and service users that too often they are provided with important healthcare information in a format they cannot read, are treated in buildings that are designed, decorated and furnished in a way that makes them difficult to navigate safely and independently, and are treated by staff who display little understanding of sight loss. All of this can result in poorer health outcomes for blind and partially sighted people, and significant potential risks.

"We should expect our health services to be exemplars when it comes to meeting the needs of people with health conditions and disabilities, including sight loss. We've been delighted, therefore, to work with Welsh Government and other partners on the development of these Standards and hope that they will result in significant improvements for blind and partially sighted people."

Related Links

The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss