The Bourne End Clinic Deaf and Hard of Hearing Practice Charter
Thames Valley Vasectomy and Surgical Services is committed to meeting the needs of our patients who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Our Commitments
We will:
● Ensure our records show that you have hearing loss or are Deaf and highlight your preferred methods of communication.
● Act on these communication and information needs.
● Ask you whether we can share your communication needs with other NHS services such as hospitals.
● Ensure our staff have completed Deaf Awareness Training and select a member of our team to act as a Hearing Loss Champion.
● Help you to contact us in several ways, including online, and where possible by email and text.
● Ensure our hearing loop aid is available to you through your care pathway.
● Ensure you can request a BSL interpreter (in person or via an app such as SignLive), via our receptionists, our online consultation system or website, whether for a video or face-to-face appointment.
● Ensure our broadband is reliable enough to maintain communication, including with an online BSL interpreter if used, throughout a conversation.
● Always provide you with a video consultation with live captions for remote appointments, rather than conduct these by phone,.
● Ensure that when we meet with you, we look at you directly and speak clearly, and at a reasonable speed, to help you understand what is being said.
● Offer to use a speech-to-text app and / or hearing loop.
● Ensure someone will collect you from the waiting room or provide you with a non-audio prompt which will tell you when a member of staff is ready to see you.
● Ensure that face masks, where necessary and not removable, are transparent.