BREAKING: NHS England contracts SignHealth to deliver ‘ground-breaking’ BSL Talking Therapies

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James Watson-O'Neil is the Chief Executive of SignHealth. James joined SignHealth in 2016 and has worked in the charity sector since 2001, including a variety of roles at Scope and the NSPCC. James is a trustee of the British Society of Mental Health and Deafness and the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group. James is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and a Leadership Fellow at the Society of Leadership Fellows at the College of St George at Windsor Castle.

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The Deaf health charity SignHealth has been awarded a national NHS England contract to deliver NHS Talking Therapies in British Sign Language (BSL) to support Deaf people experiencing feelings of anxiety, depression, or other common mental health concerns.  &nbsp; This is the first time NHS England has awarded a national contract to a Deaf specialist service. It is considered a ground-breaking step forward for the Deaf community.  &nbsp; Deaf people are twice as likely to experience mental health challenges compared to hearing people and this new NHS contract removes a major funding barrier to vital mental health support.  &nbsp; Previously, accessible therapy for Deaf people relied on funding being approved by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) on an individual basis for each Deaf patient in England. This regional approach was a complicated and costly process. It often resulted in a postcode lottery, with some CCGs not approving therapy in BSL for their Deaf patients whilst others had long waiting periods before funding would be approved, delaying the start of therapy sessions considerably.  &nbsp; Claire Murdoch, National Mental Health Director, NHS England and Improvement said: “We are extremely proud to be able to provide an NHS Talking Therapies service for deaf people through our contract with SignHealth. NHS England strives to ensure equal access to healthcare for all and we hope that this partnership will help support deaf people to access all the therapies available to them, improving their NHS experience and outcomes.”&nbsp; “SignHealth has been working towards this breakthrough for years, and we are delighted to finally remove this funding barrier for access to mental health services. Demand for our therapy service has grown significantly over the last year as the pandemic has taken its toll on mental health, and we welcome this new approach from NHS England at this crucial time.” – Christopher Reid, Director of Operations at SignHealth.  &nbsp;Therapy in British Sign Language  &nbsp;Research suggests that the best treatment for people suffering from mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety is ‘talking therapy’. This was recently highlighted in proposed updates to NICE guidelines suggesting therapy, rather than antidepressant medications, should be prescribed to patients first.  &nbsp; However, therapy relies on 1-1 communication and for Deaf people this is problematic. The moment a sign language interpreter is involved, the conversation becomes less intimate and has been shown to be less effective for the patient. All of SignHealth’s therapists are either Deaf or hearing and fluent in BSL, and some can also support deaf people who do not sign.  &nbsp; This NHS contract means Deaf people can access IAPT talking therapy directly, in their own language, the same way as their hearing peers.  &nbsp; “Deaf people are twice as likely to experience mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety compared to hearing people. This is a serious and sometimes life-threatening health inequality. Therapy delivered in sign language has been proven to have higher recovery rates and we are delighted that this contract removes the funding barrier so that more Deaf people are able to access life-changing treatment.” – Dr Sarah Powell, Clinical Lead at SignHealth.  &nbsp; “Mental health support is vital – too many Deaf people have unnecessarily lost their loved ones. NHS England funding therapy in sign language directly is terrific news for the Deaf community in England, and I’m just so thrilled that SignHealth has been awarded this contract. More still needs to be done to keep chipping away at the barriers that Deaf people face but this is an important step forward.” – Lucindha Lhathini Lawson, mental health campaigner“We are so proud of this achievement. This is a truly ground-breaking step forwards for Deaf services in England. The NHS is listening and taking action to address the structural barriers Deaf people face.” – James Watson-O’Neill, Chief Executive at SignHealth.  &nbsp; — ENDS —&nbsp; For media enquiries or comment:&nbsp; Laura Woodbury – SignHealth Communications and Digital Content Manager, lwoodbury@signhealth.org.uk, 07477555152 Notes to Editors: &nbsp; - Talking Therapies (previously referred to as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)) is an NHS England programme for treatment of adult anxiety disorders and depression. An NHS Talking Therapies service complies with requirements for providing evidence-based therapy, routinely monitoring outcomes and supporting practitioners with outcomes focused supervision.  &nbsp; - NICE Guidelines Update: In November 2021 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) proposed updated guidance related to depression in adults. The draft guidance suggests patients with less severe depression should be offered therapy, exercise, mindfulness or meditation before antidepressants. SignHealth welcomes this change in the guidance as a more long-term and wholistic approach to treating and managing depression.  &nbsp; - SignHealth Psychological Therapy Service: If you would like to learn more or refer yourself for therapy, please visit SignHealth’s website for more information – signhealth.org.uk/therapy &nbsp; Text 07966 976747 &nbsp; Email therapy@signhealth.org.uk &nbsp; Call 01494 687606 &nbsp; - SHOUT Crisis Text Service: If you are Deaf, struggling with your mental health and need to contact someone urgently, there is a free text service available 24/7 across the UK.  &nbsp; Text DEAF to 85258.  &nbsp; This text service is powered by SHOUT.  &nbsp;  <blockquote>“We are extremely proud to be able to provide an NHS Talking Therapies service for deaf people through our contract with SignHealth. NHS England strives to ensure equal access to healthcare for all and we hope that this partnership will help support deaf people to access all the therapies available to them, improving their NHS experience and outcomes.” - Claire Murdoch, National Mental Health Director, NHS England and Improvement</blockquote>

Ground-breaking NHS England contract to improve Deaf people’s access to mental health support

- Only 1 in 10 disabled people with communication needs have equitable access to healthcare, despite the NHS Accessible Information Standard being introduced in 2016 - Huge emotional stress of communication barriers adds to the pressures of dealing with health issues - Many patients avoid seeking medical care altogether because of communication barriers, SignHealth warns - “My health is my business.” New report reveals poor access to NHS services and sets out urgent steps required to meet the communication needs of Deaf and other disabled people. The review is informed by patients, with contributions from 714 disabled people with communication needs, and 196 professionals from health and social care providers through an anonymous survey. 81 per cent of patients reported having a health appointment when their communication needs were unmet. Half of Deaf people reported that their needs were rarely or never met. A lack of an accessible method for contacting GP surgeries and the COVID challenge of masks for those who rely on lip-reading were also frequently reported as serious barriers for patients to even make initial contact. The Deaf health charity SignHealth has worked in partnership with a coalition of charities to review implementation of the NHS Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The results show widespread failure to implement the Standard across the NHS. Over one third, 37 per cent, of healthcare professionals surveyed said they have never received any training linked to the AIS, despite it being introduced over five years ago. One NHS professional stated in the anonymous survey, “No training or resources, both in terms of people and tools we may need, have been put in place to support the implementation of the AIS.” This has led to significant health inequalities for Deaf and other disabled people. It puts patient health at risk through misdiagnosis, inadequate medication information, missed appointments and delays due to communication failures. “Health is central to life, and yet people are currently being denied good healthcare due to poor access, leading to health inequalities. Many of the actions required to improve access to services, communication with healthcare providers, and long-term condition management are simple and cost-neutral, or cost-saving, if implemented correctly.” – Abigail Gorman, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at SignHealth “This report provides even more evidence that Deaf and other disabled people are being excluded from public services. It is unacceptable for only one in ten disabled people to have equitable access to healthcare, particularly when the right to do so is protected in law. This has to change. SignHealth and the other charities involved in this report are ready to help fix it once and for all. Will the NHS work with us to do that?” – James Watson-O’Neill, Chief Executive, SignHealth The report calls for these urgent, simple measures to be taken to ensure people can access the healthcare they need: - providers must deliver training to staff to explain the requirements of the Standard - patient record systems must flag patients’ communication needs, alerting staff to book BSL interpreters or send alternative formats - alternative contact methods must be provided which meet the needs of the individual patient - strengthen accountability by including and monitoring information accessibility requirements in provider contracts The full report and recommendations can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/AISreview ENDS ====<blockquote>“Fed up always having to argue and say it’s my right to have an interpreter – why have they for 18 years wanted my family to interpret for me! My health is my business.” – Deaf patient</blockquote>

Five years on and no change, Deaf people still shut out of NHS services

Three charities; RNID, SignHealth and the UK Council on Deafness have welcomed a decision by the telecoms regulator, Ofcom, to provide deaf access to the 999 emergency phoneline in British Sign Language (BSL). Ofcom have estimated that this service will save at least 2 lives per year. Following a joint campaign by the three organisations, Ofcom has said that telecoms providers will be compelled to offer their customers free 24/7 access to the emergency phoneline via a video relay service (VRS) on both an app and website. VRS allows a deaf person to make a video call to a BSL interpreter, who will then relay the call via phone to the 999 call handler. The trio of charities have been working with Ofcom for the last 18 months on this issue with an initial petition calling on Ofcom to introduce this system which received 874 signatories and resulted in Ofcom consulting on this idea. Since then, the charities have been working behind the scenes presenting Ofcom with evidence of community need and engaging the deaf community to contribute to the public consultations. Input from the deaf community has been invaluable in showing Ofcom the life-saving impact the service will have. The industry now has one year to prepare and to make this service available. During this time, the provider will have to be approved by Ofcom and will need to demonstrate how it can meet a number of stringent standards such as the need to only use registered and appropriately experienced BSL interpreters, as well as having the IT systems to support this.&nbsp; &nbsp;“We are thrilled with Ofcom’s decision to make 999 accessible in British Sign Language. This will have a huge impact on those that need to access this service in their primary language of BSL. We would like to thank the deaf community for helping us to campaign on this issue and we are proud that we have achieved something which will ultimately save lives.” – Roger Wicks, Associate Director of Insight and Policy at RNID“We welcome this in principle decision from Ofcom and recognise there is now a lot of work required over the coming year before the service is up and running. We are encouraged by the positive and constructive work carried out by Ofcom to arrive at this decision and trust Ofcom will continue to engage with the deaf community and ensure that any approved provider offers a service which works for and with BSL users and that a year of continued cooperation can create a system that truly works for the deaf community.” – Ralph Nattress, Chair, UK Council on Deafness &nbsp;<blockquote>&nbsp;“This is a breakthrough for Deaf people and means one more step forward towards equality. But what happens when the ambulance arrives? The paramedics won’t be able to sign and there is no national video relay service in England to support them to communicate with Deaf people. We won’t be satisfied until Deaf people have full and equal access to services, particularly life-saving health services. We call for a national video relay service to be urgently commissioned so that NHS staff can communicate with Deaf people throughout the health service, and we are ready and willing to work with the NHS to make that a reality.” - James Watson-O’Neil, Chief Executive, SignHealth&nbsp;</blockquote>

Deaf charities welcome life-saving decision to make 999 accessible in BSL

<h4>A free service enabling deaf people to access medical services over the phone has been forced to close due to a lack of Government funding.</h4>In March 2020, as lockdown came into effect and services across the country switched to phone consultations, Deaf people needed a solution fast to address this new barrier to healthcare in the UK.The Deaf health charity, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://signhealth.org.uk">SignHealth</a>, launched a free on-demand 24/7 remote interpreting service called BSL Health Access, in partnership with InterpreterNow, to enable Deaf people to have access to medical services over the phone, free of charge.When BSL Health Access launched, SignHealth was optimistic that NHS England or another government body would pay for the service in order to make phone consultations accessible to Deaf people. In the meantime, SignHealth invested £800,000 from its own reserves to kickstart the service and ensure Deaf people were not left waiting.Late in 2020, the NHS agreed to cover the running costs from December to the end of March 2021 to ensure the service continued into the winter while it reviewed British Sign Language (BSL) provision more broadly.On March 31, the NHS confirmed funding would not be renewed, effectively closing the service as SignHealth, having already invested £800,000 from its own reserves, is unable to cover the costs moving forward.&nbsp; James Watson-O’Neill, Chief Executive, SignHealth, commented:&nbsp; “I am incredibly proud of what BSL Health Access has achieved and I will always be grateful to SignHealth’s deaf-led Board of Trustees for approving such a significant investment to fund this innovation. Access to health services is a right, not a privilege. Deaf people, whose health is already typically poorer than hearing people’s, deserve excellent access to healthcare in British Sign Language.”&nbsp; Andrew Dewey, CEO, InterpreterNow, added: “SignHealth and InterpreterNow are incredibly proud of the service we provided to enable access to healthcare during the pandemic. Over 25,000 conversations were interpreted over the last year through BSL Health Access, and Deaf people have told us the service was ‘life-saving’. We are incredibly disappointed and gravely concerned that the Deaf community have been left without healthcare access.”&nbsp; A <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.change.org/p/nhs-england-fund-bsl-health-access?recruiter=1052146256&amp;recruited_by_id=4c97faf0-6773-11ea-97bf-f7abaa13f877&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=copylink&amp;utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&amp;use_react=false">Change.org petition</a> asking the NHS to fund BSL Health Access has so far had nearly 5,000 signatures. The sudden closure leaves many in the Deaf community asking how they will access health services moving forwards. The NHS states: “The provision of BSL interpretation is the responsibility of individual NHS providers, so you will need to contact your local provider to confirm arrangements for BSL interpretation.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;— ENDS —Notes to EditorsFor more information, please contact Dominic Hiatt, Newspage: 07595 221604 / <a href="mailto:dominic@newspage.co.uk">dominic@newspage.co.uk</a>&nbsp;<blockquote>"Access to health services is a right, not a privilege. Deaf people, whose health is already poorer than hearing people’s, deserve excellent access to healthcare in British Sign Language.” - James Watson-O’Neill, SignHealth Chief Executive</blockquote>

'Life-saving' service for deaf people forced to close

James Watson-O'Neil is the Chief Executive of SignHealth. James joined SignHealth in 2016 and has worked in the charity sector since 2001, including a variety of roles at Scope and the NSPCC. James is a trustee of the British Society of Mental Health and Deafness and the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group. James is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and a Leadership Fellow at the Society of Leadership Fellows at the College of St George at Windsor…

Chief Executive

SignHealth

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