A Hull and East Yorkshire health initiative is using films to highlight how limited access to British Sign Language interpreters creates barriers for deaf people when accessing NHS services.

Sarah Regan of the Hull and East Yorkshire Centre for the Deaf said recognizing communication as a basic right is essential and welcomed improvements like booking interpreters and staff understanding needs.

Regan, residential manager at the Centre for the Deaf, criticized the system for historically overlooking deaf people and noted the positive impact of ensuring interpreters are booked and staff understand deaf needs.

The Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) worked with the Hull and East Yorkshire Centre for the Deaf to understand these barriers from the deaf community’s perspective.

Overall, the effort seeks to ensure NHS services are truly accessible to deaf patients and to improve service design accordingly.

National data show only seven percent of NHS appointments requiring a BSL interpreter actually have one, underscoring widespread access gaps with serious consequences.

Data indicate that the shortage of interpreters can have life-threatening implications for deaf patients.

ICB chair Jason Stamp said equitable access to healthcare and clear communication are fundamental, and removing barriers is essential for deaf patients to access care safely and confidently.

Stamp stressed that equitable access to healthcare is a core principle and that effective communication is a necessity, not a luxury.

The ICB plans to use the films as a training tool for NHS staff across Humber and North Yorkshire to raise awareness and improve accessibility.

The films are available on YouTube and a related blog and were presented at an ICB board meeting where the board committed to embedding them in staff training.

The initiative aims to raise awareness among NHS staff, improve interpreter provision, and create services that are genuinely accessible to deaf or hearing-impaired people.