Progress and challenges in deaf and hard of hearing healthcare access
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In 2014, Healthwatch Leicester worked with the Deaf community to identify the barriers that prevented people from accessing local health services. A decade later, many of those challenges remain. While there have been some positive developments such as better interpreting services in hospitals and more awareness in parts of primary care, significant barriers continue to affect how Deaf and hard of hearing people experience health and care services.
Between March and August 2025, Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire ran a survey asking Deaf and hard of hearing people to share their experiences of local NHS services. 110 people responded.
Ten years on , progress has been uneven.
- Access to interpreters remains inconsistent, especially in GP and dental settings.
- Hospitals and audiology services have seen improvements in communication and interpreting provision.
- GP services remain the most widely used, but opinions on access and support are highly divided.
- Information accessibility and telephone systems are still significant barriers.
- Families are still heavily relied on for communication, which can make it harder for individuals to feel independent or maintain their privacy