Sensory Impairment Report - 2019

Summary

The purpose of the work was to better understand the experiences of those with sensory impairments and to gather their views and experiences of accessing local health & care services.

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees’ aim was to identify if service users with a sensory impairment felt their needs are being met and if not, how improvements could be made to better understand their experiences in the future.

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees designed and circulated a questionnaire to gather feedback. The staff team also made contact with a number of sensory impairment support groups and carried out engagement with services users to gather feedback.

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees engaged with the following groups:

• Focus on Vision’s Macular Degeneration Support Group
• Socialites Visual Impairment Support Group
• Teesside and District Society for the Blind
• Middlesbrough Deaf Centre (engagement with Stockton residents)

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees engaged with a total of 35 members of the community, 10 of which had a hearing impairment, 22 who had a sight impairment and three people who had both a hearing and sight impairment.

Feedback was given on:

• Hospital services
• GP surgeries
• Dentists
• Social care
• Patient Transport Service

The introduction of the Accessible Information Standard made it a legal requirement for all NHS care or adult social care organisations to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with information that they can easily read or understand. This legal requirement ensures people can communicate effectively.

However, our findings highlight that individuals with a sensory impairment are still experiencing difficulties on a regular basis when accessing health and social care services.