TEA script

Hello. My name’s Jo Nicolls. I’m giving you important information about what is happening with the health services in your area.

The Government’s Department of Health investigated deaf people’s experience of using health services – GPs, opticians, hospitals, dentists, etc. Then they published a report, called: Towards Equity and Access – “The T.E.A Report” for short. This report showed that deaf people had problems using health services – problems booking appointments, problems in communication during consultations where many have failed to provide interpreters. The report has over 25 different ways on how to improve things.

I’m going to pick about 4 points from this report to give you an idea what sort of issues needs to be looked at and changes that are needed to make things easier for deaf people to use the health service locally.

1. Proper Communication Tactics training aimed at healthcare staff, and the use of translation software - The TEA report recommends proper training for all the staff working directly with patients. There is also a new computer software launched earlier this year where BSL users can access medical issues at the doctors through the computer screen. Ask your doctor to show this to you at your next appointment, mind you, many doctors are not aware of this software!

2. That social services and local health services look at the needs of deaf children, elderly deaf BSL-users, Deafblind people, and deaf people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

3. The TEA report also suggests doctors in local surgeries should increase their knowledge and understanding of deaf people’s communication needs, as its important that your doctor understands what you are signing/relaying to make an accurate diagnosis or refer you to the appropriate specialists and receiving treatment sooner rather than later.

4. The report recommends that mental health services employ more specialist nurses, and employ more Deaf people at all levels – from doctors to support workers.

The Department of Health gave extra money to each local PCT (Primary Care Trust) to improve services to deaf people. PCTs are responsible for managing your local health services and making sure they are accessible to everyone including deaf people. Many PCTs have not spent the money on deaf people! It is important to ask where the money has gone.

There are a couple of ways you can support this.

· Go to your PCT’s AGM (Annual General Meeting) or the PCT’s Board Meeting, and ask during the question time (They will need to know you are coming along, so they can organise an interpreter to be present at this meeting for them to be able to respond to your questions)

· Write and ask your PCT’s Chief Executive – we have included a letter which includes the 3 questions we need to ask each PCT on this website, which you can copy and use to send to your local PCT.

To find information about your PCT click here

When your PCT tells you where the T.E.A. money has gone, please let the TEA Officers know, using this link. They are responsible for checking where the money has gone, and work with PCTs to make sure it is spent properly. We are aware there are many who are not using this money for deaf people’s benefit, so we need to know those ones which must be pressurised into spending the money on deaf people needs.

If you want to know more, contact one of the people who are working to improve health care for deaf people. When this signing clip finishes, you will see their contact details on this page. Click here to e-mail them.

(Letter below)

Dear Chief Executive,

I am writing to you to ask you to respond to my three questions below, linked to the TEA report (Towards Equity and Access) published by the Department of Health in March 2005. This report looks at local services and how they are meeting the needs of deaf people, deaf-blind people, elderly sign language users and deaf members of the cultural and ethnic diversity community. Thousands of pounds was distributed to your PCT specifically aimed at providing a more equal service to deaf people’s needs.

1. Which of the 26 recommendations have you implemented locally?

2. Have you spent this money on services for deaf people? If yes, what were you able to achieve?

3. This report clearly shows deaf people are discriminated currently within the health service. Can you reassure me that the money will not be spent on something different and that I, as a sign language user, will not be further discriminated against?

Yours sincerely,