New research released today (Tuesday 27th January) by RNID has exposed an overwhelming lack of NHS staff training in England on their legal duties towards people who are deaf or have hearing loss, leaving millions of adults facing significant health risks.
A series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from RNID – the national charity supporting the 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus – have revealed a shocking 92% of NHS staff in England have not completed training on the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).
The standard – which has been in place since 2016 – sets out patients’ rights under the Equality Act and ensures the NHS meets its obligations towards the needs of people with a disability or sensory loss.
The findings follow a damning report from charities RNID and SignHealth, Still Ignored: The Fight for Accessible Healthcare, which revealed how the NHS is routinely failing to apply the Accessible Information Standard, leaving over 6 million adults who are deaf or have hearing loss regularly facing an uphill struggle to get vital information on their own health – including serious illness.
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