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'National scandal' as more help needed for deaf patients

Kristy Hopkins 45-year-old Kristy Hopkins on the left wearing an olive-coloured wax jacket, jeans, beige jumper and sunglasses. On the right is her daughter, 15 year-old Ffion-Haf with dark curly hair tied up and wearing a black North Face jacket and navy jumper. Ffion has her right arm around her mother's shoulder. They are both smiling at the camera and stood on a beach.Kristy Hopkins
Kristy Hopkins says her daughter Ffion Haf has to rely on her to communicate with medical staff

A mother has said there is no one available to communicate with her deaf daughter when they go to hospital.

Kristy Hopkins, 45, from Cardiff, said taking her 15-year-old daughter, Ffion Haf, to hospital was a "difficult" and "negative" experience due to the communication barriers.

It follows a report by the charity RNID which said there were serious failures in the care of people who are deaf or hard of hearing in Wales.

A Welsh government spokesperson said it was working with organisations such as RNID and the British Deaf Association to "renew" access to healthcare for people with sensory impairments.

Ffion Haf is dependent on implants to be able to hear and her condition means she has spent a long time in hospitals.

Her mother Kristy told BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast that her daughter's experience had "been pretty negative".

"We've spent quite a bit of time in hospital, weeks at a time, and every time we're in there's no one able to communicate with her - there's no interpreter available there."

Kristy Hopkins Selfie with Kristy on the left and Ffion Haf on the right. Kristy has dark hair tied up and dark rimmed glasses. She is wearing a grey Nike sweater. Ffion has long dark curly hair and is wearing a navy zip-up top. They are stood in a kitchen.Kristy Hopkins
Kristy says it is "vital that equal access for all is available in the health service"

Ms Hopkins said that the lack of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters in hospitals meant the responsibility fell on her to translate - something that worries her when Ffion Haf is older.

"Without the cochlear implant she's totally deaf so she relies on me to communicate with the doctors and nurses in the hospital - it's been difficult every time we go in. It falls on me as a mother to communicate with her afterwards," she said.

"It's vital that equal access for all is available in the health service.

"In a couple of years I won't be able to be with Ffion Haf staying overnight with her in hospital, so when she has to go in alone who is going to communicate with her? It's something we're really worried about in the future."

She added that an app is available that gives a live link to a BSL speaker but that a problem with the WiFi at the University Hospital of Wales has prevented it from being used.

The RNID said the treatment of deaf and hard of hearing people in Wales was a "national scandal".

A report by the charity claims that NHS Wales was breaching patients' legal rights under the Equality Act.

According to the charity, 73% of deaf and hearing loss people in Wales had never been asked about their communication needs within a healthcare setting.

Polly Winn, RNID's external affairs manager for Wales, said: "The terrible reality is that far too many deaf and hard of hearing people are being missed by NHS Wales.

"NHS Wales systematically discriminates against people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is a national scandal.

"Lives are being put at risk due to communication barriers, delays and outdated systems that need to be overhauled."

She added it was "vital that the Welsh government tackles these issues urgently".

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We are currently renewing the standards that people with sensory loss should expect when accessing healthcare in Wales, working with organisations such as RNID and the British Deaf Association.

"This will ensure that deaf people and people with hearing loss and their carers know where they can access services, care and support in their local community."