Survey results show GP surgeries have low awareness of 'It Makes Sense' campaign
NHS Wales Centre for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) has carried out an online survey of GP surgeries to get their views on the working of the Accessible Information Standard. Disappointingly, 75% of the practices which responded had not heard of the 'It Makes Sense' campaign, and few of them had completed the e-learning module on sensory loss.
The 'It Makes Sense' campaign has key messages for patients with sensory loss, reminding them of their right under the Equality Act 2010 to have accessible communication and information whenever they need healthcare. Patients and the general public are encouraged to:
- TELL doctors, nurses, paramedics and other health professionals how they want staff to communicate with them;
- ASK to receive information in an accessible format including British Sign Language (BSL), large print, audio, electronic or Braille;
- SHARE their concerns with their GP surgery or hospital if the information they receive is not accessible to them.
On a more positive note, 63% of respondents said that they had no difficulty in finding out the communication needs of their patients. It is recommended that the survey is carried out on an annual basis, and that the e-learning module is promoted more widely, To find out more and read the full report, click here.
Posted on the 4th of March 2019