DHU’s patient experience team has been working hard to ensure we can better communicate with our hard of hearing patients at our three Leicestershire urgent treatment centres.
A British Sign language interpreter service has gone live at Loughborough and Oadby UTCs, as well as our facility at Merlyn Vaz Health and Social Centre in Leicester, with the intention of rolling it out further later in the year.
This service has been brought in to ensure that all of our patients have access to clear, understandable communication to provide fair, inclusive and equal access to patient-centred care.
“Fair and easy access to care…”
Adele Peck is DHU’s Head of Clinical Services UTCs, she explained:
“We listened carefully to patient feedback, which highlighted how important this service is in ensuring fair and easy access to care. Clear communication helps patients understand the options available to them, and we are delighted to now offer this support.
“All of our colleagues have been fully trained in how to use the system, and signs are displayed across our three sites, so patients know that all they need to do is ask at reception. From there, we can quickly provide access to the BSL service via a video link for their clinical consultation.
“Our ambition is to build on this by expanding the service to our other UTCs and wider services. By doing so, we can make sure even more patients are supported to access the right care for their needs.”