"Accessible health information is a basic right not a privilege" says RNIB and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, 17 March 2011
We have been campaigning for NHS to end the practice of giving blind and partially sighted people their health information in ordinary print.
So is health information now accessible? At 'Losing Patients Heads Up' on Friday 25 February we invited NHS to give their answer. A very exciting development had taken place at Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals Trust. We asked "Is this a game changer for all of NHS?" Yes, we think so…
Achievements and successes so far...
Headlines
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700 people attended Losing Patients events.
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Fourteen regional events took place across the country
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50 NHS trusts engaged.
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Hospitals stating "all information is available in accessible formats".
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First known hospital modifies it's PAS system to capture and flag patient information needs.
Monthly Highlights
March 2011: news release about Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals Trust goes out today
February 2011: important event 'accessible health information' review takes place in Sheffield where NHS managers share real progress.
January 2011: Just heard a hospital trust has also enabled it's pharmacy computer systems to capture and flag blind patient information needs - amazing progress.
December 2010: Another hospital trust has phoned RNIB to find out how to modify their PAS to capture patient format needs - we're linking up the trusts."
November 2010: Getting news that a major hospital trust has modified their PAS system enabling it to capture and flag blind patient information needs - a first?
October 2010: Bristol LINk adds accessible health information to it's workstream and publishes powerful story about local resident and campaign supporter Jenny Hodges
3 March 2010: Lord Low of Dalston, secures an amendment to the Equality Bill so it explicitly cites accessible formats as a reasonable adjustment. The Equality Act replaces the DDA in October 2010.
6 February 2010: the campaign sets the theme for a series of programmes on BBC Radio 4's In Touch.
Why are we campaigning for this change?
Sarah is 25 and is registered blind. She said that following a cervical smear test at her GP surgery, a nurse offered to send her results in braille:
"Three weeks later I was told a standard print letter would be posted which I could ask someone else to read to me.
"A month after the test, and after several hours of frustrating phone calls, she finally received her results by email. "A sighted patient would have received the results within a fortnight.
"Chasing my results was extremely stressful and time-consuming. I was becoming angrier by the minute at the lack of accessibility to visually impaired patients.
"I received congratulations cards in braille from friends when I got married in 2008, why can't I get information from health services?"
What can I do?
Follow the campaign
Short updates are posted on Twitter - Losing patients