The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman warns that public services’ communications are falling short for people with disabilities. 

People with disabilities are being let down by public services due to poor or inaccessible communications, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has warned.

Disabled people are at risk of not getting the vital information they need to make informed decisions about their healthcare, finances or employment, because some services failed to provide accessible formats such as audio materials or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters. The Ombudsman’s investigations, detailed in a new report, found instances where disabled people did not receive information in accessible formats such as audio materials or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters, leaving them confused, distressed, and financially worse off as a result.

This is an issue Healthcare Today has highlighted in the past. 

“When people feel they are not listened to and that their needs are not met, they lose trust in the very services designed to support them,” said PHSO chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath.

“At worst, failures in communication can make services unsafe and cause serious harm if people are unable to understand information and advocate for themselves,” she added. 

Clear communication

A case in the report highlights how a deaf woman was given the wrong vaccination at a GP surgery because staff failed to provide a BSL interpreter. The woman, whose first language is BSL, attended the practice for a pre-booked flu vaccination, but instead was given the COVID-19 vaccination without her consent.

She said there was no interpreter present, and staff attempted to communicate with her through her grandmother, without knowing whether she knew sign language. Staff also failed to show her the NHS COVID-19 vaccination video, which explains the vaccine and possible side effects in BSL.

The woman later experienced side effects she had not been expecting. Had she been allergic to any component of the vaccine, the error could have had serious and potentially life-threatening consequences.

Following an investigation by the Ombudsman, the practice outlined how it will improve its service for patients with different communication needs.

“Public services have a duty to communicate clearly in a range of formats to meet the needs of people who use their services. This must be consistently built into service delivery. Organisations must listen to people who use their services and make improvements so that services are inclusive, safe and effective for everyone,” said Hilsenrath.