Health service chiefs need to see the light
BLIND Sarah Bryan was delighted when the guests at her wedding made sure to send her congratulations cards written in Braille.
Unfortunately for the Sheffield newlywed, getting the NHS to think the same way is a struggle.
Now Sarah is backing a major campaign urging the health service to provide people with visual difficulties with information they can actually read.
According to leading charity the Royal National Institute of Blind People, as many as 95 per cent of blind and partially sighted people say they have never been asked if they want medical letters, or instructions in medication, in Braille, email or large print.
And there are concerns that a lack of accessible information is leading to missed appointments and safety issues around the use of medication
At the launch of the 'Losing Patients campaign', at the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind on Mappin Street, Sarah told of the barriers she has faced in being able to access her own confidential medical information.
The 25-year-old, a speech and language academic, said that after a test at her GP's surgery a nurse rightly offered to send her personal and private results in Braille.
But, three weeks later, Sarah received a phone call telling her that wasn't possible - and instead a standard printed letter would be posted out which she could ask someone else to read to her.
Sarah, from Hillsborough, said: "Why can't I get my personal health information with the same independence and confidentiality as a sighted patient?
"I was particularly offended by the assumption I had a carer or someone to read my letter for me.
"It isn't the first time I've encountered difficulties. Three separate departments within Sheffield health service have all been unable to provide me with letters I can read."
A month after the test, and after several frustrating phone calls, Sarah finally received her results by email.
She added: "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?"
The launch event was attended by Sheffield MPs Nick Clegg and Richard Caborn and the campaign is backed by blind MP David Blunkett.
Mr Clegg praised Sarah for highlighting the problems and pledged his support.
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More Doncaster news “I heard what Sarah had to say and it shows how people are losing their independence and their right to choice to receive information about their health,” he said.
“The RNIB shows this has devastating consequences - people missing their appointments, unable to read instructions on medication.
“It is an issue for both patients and GPs, and I think all of us want to be able to work together.”
Mr Blunkett, who is vice president of the RNIB, said: "Visual impairment isn't the problem - the problem is the culture of giving ordinary print to people who cannot read it.
“No patient should feel it's too much trouble to ask for accessible information, or that a special effort is needed to secure their right to read.
“No patient should be forced to ask someone else to read their private test results out loud to them, or be left with no choice but to take prescribed medicines without being supplied with an accessible label."
Research commissioned by the RNIB has found patient safety, confidentiality, and choice are routinely compromised as 95 per cent of blind and partially sighted people are never asked which reading format they need.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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