Sign Café – supporting patients who are deaf or have hearing loss
Patients who are deaf or have hearing loss can face difficulties accessing health and care services.
The NHS in Dudley hosted a Sign Café to discuss these experiences, show what services are currently available and explore how to make them better.
Around 70 people attended the event at the Queens Cross Network, with British Sign Language interpreters supporting conversations on the day.
A selection of anonymous feedback gathered from the event:
· “A very well organised event, which has brought those who are deaf or experiencing hearing loss with health professionals who are able to help them live happy and healthy lives.”
· “Very good, kind and very helpful as I didn’t know what the blood pressure levels were. They explained it well.”
· “It is great to link in with a community whom we would usually struggle to engage with. The event offered us time to share some important information.”
Across 12 stalls, attendees were able to meet experts and receive health advice about:
· strokes
· bowel cancer
· breast cancer
· healthy eating
· health and wellbeing.
They could also find out about different support services in Dudley, including:
· care coordinators
· digital access
· Healthwatch Dudley
· employment in the Black Country.
Dudley Integrated Health and Care Trust’s (DIHC) Healthy Hearts Hub team also provided blood pressure checks and advice on the day.
The Healthy Hearts Hub team aims to show the importance of nutrition, positive lifestyle choices and regular checks for strong heart health.
A total of 35 people had their blood pressure taken, with six being told to seek further checks and possible treatment.
Dr Lloyd Baron, DIHC Clinical Lead for Health Inequalities, said: “We want to make NHS services more accessible for everyone in Dudley.
“The Sign Café event showed how we can support patients who are deaf or have hearing loss. It was also an invaluable opportunity for us to listen to their experiences and understand where we can improve. Thank you to everyone involved in making this event a success.”
DIHC hosted the Sign Café with support from partners, including:
· NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board
· The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
· Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
