'NHS did not take my hearing impairment seriously'

A woman with a severe hearing impairment has said NHS staff did not take it seriously.

Pip Lee, from Bungay, Suffolk, said poor communication during some appointments had left her confused.

It comes as new research by charities the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and SignHealth found NHS staff were not making diagnoses or treatment clear enough.

NHS England said the findings were "shocking and unacceptable" and it was committed to "meeting its responsibilities with the accessible information standard".

Ms Lee has been losing her hearing for 20 years and also has tinnitus, the name for hearing noises, including ringing or buzzing, that do not come from an outside source.

She said she felt anxiety and stress about making NHS appointments because she felt staff did not care about her needs.

Ms Lee said she had missed appointments when she could not hear her name being called.

On one occasion, she said, a pager system used to alert patients had failed.

Ms Lee had also missed what staff were saying when they wore face masks.

"The main problem is not understanding the diagnosis or even the questions you're being asked because then perhaps you mishear slightly and give an answer that perhaps isn't correct," she said.

"Generally feeling as if you're not being taken seriously, having to explain to every single member of staff over and over again that you're hearing impaired or you're deaf.

"I have worn badges, nobody takes any notice. I gave up."

She added: "I understand completely that the staff are really busy, they are overwhelmed, but I can't change my hearing.

"There are seven million plus other people who cannot change or physically cannot do anything other than use hearing aids - and hearing aids do not restore your hearing."

Ms Lee wanted to see more mandatory training for NHS staff - conducted by people with hearing impairments.

"I hate to come over as moaning about it, but if things aren't changing you have to step up," she added.

RNID and SignHealth's report said six millions adults in England who are deaf or have hearing loss have been affected by "serious and widespread healthcare failings".

Almost one in 10 said they had avoided calling an ambulance or attending A&E, while one in four said they had not sought help for a new health concern.

The research found NHS staff blamed a lack of training and time, as well as poor IT systems and processes.

An NHS spokesperson said it had a "legal duty to provide clear and appropriate methods of communication to ensure that patients including those with a sensory impairment, such as hearing loss, and their families or carers can fully understand everything they need to about their treatment and care".

They added: "NHS England is committed to meeting its responsibilities with the accessible information standard and will continue to support organisations to ensure it is implemented in a consistent way – including with the upcoming publication of a new patient safety framework highlighting the importance of ensuring people's communication support needs are met."

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