Improving BSL users’ access to GP Practice care in South West London

Healthwatch Croydon, Healthwatch Kingston, Healthwatch Merton, Healthwatch Richmond, Healthwatch Sutton and Healthwatch Wandsworth undertook further research on how local services were implementing the Accessible Information Standard after a new interpretation service was rolled out across South West London practices.

Healthwatch reached out to BSL users and to GP practices again to see if this service change addressed the concerns we had heard. Their engagement with BSL users and GP practice staff did not demonstrate a consistent preference for the new provider over the former provider. Instead, patients and carers emphasised that genuine accessibility requires more than changes to interpretation services. Participants highlighted the need for consistent, high-quality interpretation alongside broader improvements across the entire patient journey - from booking appointments to receiving information after consultations - in line with the NHS England’s Accessible Information Standard.

These findings echo the concerns raised in their earlier engagement and are reinforced by national research. Patients and carers stressed that the same issues have been raised for over a decade, with little meaningful progress. This lack of improvement continues to drive health inequalities for d/Deaf and deafblind people.