People who are deaf or have hearing loss face significant and avoidable barriers when accessing NHS healthcare services in the UK, including understanding information, managing their health, and participating in treatment decisions. We estimate these failings affect over 10 million people across the UK....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable clinical change — this is a quick-reference advocacy factsheet intended to support policy conversations rather than change clinical protocols.
A concise statistical snapshot of NHS access failures for deaf and hearing-loss patients is a practical tool for audiologists making the case for improved communication support to commissioners and managers.
- 01Factsheet targets policy and advocacy audiences rather than clinical practitioners.
- 02Highlights significant and avoidable barriers deaf patients face within NHS services.
- 03Over 10 million UK people are estimated to be affected.
- 04Designed for quick reference, covering key data points without deep methodology.
- 05Complements RNID's fuller evidence review published simultaneously.
Deaf and hearing-loss patients face significant and avoidable barriers when accessing NHS services.
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