Deaf and Hard of Hearing GP Practice Charter

3W Health is committed to meeting the needs of our patients who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

We will:

• Ensure our records show that you have hearing loss or are Deaf and highlight your preferred methods of communication.
• Act on these communication and information needs.
• Ask you whether we can share your communication needs with other NHS services such as hospitals.
• Ensure our staff completed Deaf Awareness Training and select a member of our team to act as a Hearing Loss Champion.
• Help you to contact us in several ways, including online, and where possible by email and text.
• Ensure you can request a BSL interpreter (in person or via an app such as SignLive), via our receptionists, our online consultation system or website, whether for a video or face-to-face appointment.
• Ensure our broadband is reliable enough to maintain communication, including with an online BSL interpreter if used, throughout a conversation.
• Try to provide you with a video consultation with live captions for remote appointments, rather than conduct these by phone.
• Ensure that when we meet with you, we look at you directly and speak clearly, and at a reasonable speed, to help you understand what is being said.
• Offer o use a speech-to-text app/and or hearing loop.
• Ensure someone will collect you from the waiting rom, or provide you with a non-audio prompt which will tell you when a member of staff is ready to see you.
• Ensure that face masks, where necessary and not removable, are transparent.

Date 15th April 2024