A NATIONAL hearing loss charity said NHS Wales is failing to meet the communication needs of people who are deaf.
In a report published recently, Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), said people who are deaf or have hearing loss face significant barriers to healthcare.
Such barriers, according to a study carried out by the charity, range from not being able to book a GP appointment to patients not understanding what is happening to them in emergency care.
Wales Interpretation and Translation Service (WITS) was another body mentioned in the report as needing to review the way it provides communication support to NHS Wales.
It states that one in four patients (25%) have been denied the information and communication support they need, adding that “NHS staff understanding of how to record, flag and meet patient needs, including the provision of communication support, is poor”.
As a result of these “negative experiences”, the charity said most people would prefer to book their own communication support rather than rely on the NHS provider to do this for them.
However, it added that “some feel strongly that this is not their responsibility as a patient”.
Booking of interpreters for NHS Wales appointments and care is provided by WITS.
Hosting responsibilities for the service were transferred from Gwent Police to Cardiff Council in 2017.
A city council spokesperson said: “The report has only just been published.
“We will review the recommendations relating to WITS, and collaborate with our NHS partners to explore how we can enhance the service to better meet the needs of its users.”
As part of RNID’s research project, 106 people living in Wales who are deaf or have hearing loss were surveyed and data was collected between November 12, 2024 and January 20, 2025.
The charity’s report states that 47 members of staff at NHS Wales were also surveyed.
A total of 17 recommendations were laid out for NHS Wales and other bodies like WITS.
Specifically in relation to WITS, RNID recommended that a review be carried out on the way communications support is provided to NHS Wales Services and that all key delivery partners must commit to the work needed to improve accessibility of NHS Wales services.
Other recommendations include that the Welsh Government and NHS Wales must review the way providers and commissioners procure communication support professionals and that the Welsh Government must publicly restate its commitment to revise and enforce the All Wales Standards.
The All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication and Information for People with Sensory Loss were launched in December 2013 by the Welsh Government.
They set out the level of service delivery that people with sensory loss should expect to be met with when they need healthcare and require every health board and NHS trust in Wales to develop an implementation plan.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We are currently renewing the standards that people with sensory loss should expect when accessing healthcare in Wales, working with organisations such as RNID and the British Deaf Association.
“This will ensure that deaf people and people with hearing loss and their carers know where they can access services, care and support in their local community.”
