Miss-Delectable
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Belfast Telegraph
On the retirement of our old doctor just over a year ago we decided it was time to move to a practice nearer home and are now enrolled at Kerrsland Surgery in Ballyhackamore, Belfast.
I was there the other day for a routine blood test and was struck again by the way reception and other staff are trying very hard to practise deaf awareness and help relieve the stress of getting medical help.
There are no steps or stairs at Kerrsland and the convenient car park means you never need to walk more than a few yards to the entrance doors. The waiting area is open-plan, apart from a few well-placed oak panels giving privacy to the reception desk.
There are none of the infuriating small windows still found in some post offices and railway waiting rooms that make communication next to impossible, and the desk is just the right height, making contact with the receptionist straightforward.
We deaf folk are unable to judge background noise when speaking to the receptionist, so I always keep my name and details on a piece of paper and it's copied into the computer.
On Tuesday she greeted me with a smile and the good morning sign, held up eight fingers to show the numbers of patients before me, told me by gesture that it was not so bad because two nurses were on duty in the treatment room, then gave the sign for thank you and told me to have a seat.
The seats at Kerrsland are really comfortable and magazines are available. But best of all is the illuminated moving display high up on the wall, welcoming us to the surgery and reminding us to report to reception.
Every so often the display changes to show the name of the next patient and the doctor being consulted. The room was crowded and it was just a little difficult trying to read and watch for my name coming up to tell me where to go.
The nurse in the treatment room that morning had no signs, but was quite easy to lip-read. Even so, she quickly sensed that some of the info she was giving me was too important to be left to chance and took the trouble to write it down. I was grateful for this, because it had not clearly registered with me that a special kidney check was in operation and an appointment with the doctor had to be booked within a fortnight.
All deaf people now qualify for interpreter support when seeing a doctor and this is absolutely essential to ensure there is no ambiguity during a consultation. We need highly skilled people for this work and the demand is so high some bookings need to be made a month or more before the appointment.
But even a few basic signs and the right attitude help to make deaf patients feel more relaxed and confident during visits to hospitals and surgeries. The manual alphabet can be acquired with practice in half an hour and, along with easy-to-learn signs such as good morning and thank you, should be part of all front-line staff training. And those illuminated name displays should be mandatory everywhere.
• Mariette Mulvenna from the Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID), has asked me to announce an Evening of Celebration planned for Saturday, November 25, in Belfast City Hall, from 7-11pm, celebrating 100 years of deaf heritage.
A play with deaf actors will celebrate the ministry of Francis Maginn and a video will portray the history of Wilton House over the century.
This is a ticket-only evening and if you want to attend contact the RNID quickly. Fax 9031 2032 or e-mail informationline@rnid.org.uk
On the retirement of our old doctor just over a year ago we decided it was time to move to a practice nearer home and are now enrolled at Kerrsland Surgery in Ballyhackamore, Belfast.
I was there the other day for a routine blood test and was struck again by the way reception and other staff are trying very hard to practise deaf awareness and help relieve the stress of getting medical help.
There are no steps or stairs at Kerrsland and the convenient car park means you never need to walk more than a few yards to the entrance doors. The waiting area is open-plan, apart from a few well-placed oak panels giving privacy to the reception desk.
There are none of the infuriating small windows still found in some post offices and railway waiting rooms that make communication next to impossible, and the desk is just the right height, making contact with the receptionist straightforward.
We deaf folk are unable to judge background noise when speaking to the receptionist, so I always keep my name and details on a piece of paper and it's copied into the computer.
On Tuesday she greeted me with a smile and the good morning sign, held up eight fingers to show the numbers of patients before me, told me by gesture that it was not so bad because two nurses were on duty in the treatment room, then gave the sign for thank you and told me to have a seat.
The seats at Kerrsland are really comfortable and magazines are available. But best of all is the illuminated moving display high up on the wall, welcoming us to the surgery and reminding us to report to reception.
Every so often the display changes to show the name of the next patient and the doctor being consulted. The room was crowded and it was just a little difficult trying to read and watch for my name coming up to tell me where to go.
The nurse in the treatment room that morning had no signs, but was quite easy to lip-read. Even so, she quickly sensed that some of the info she was giving me was too important to be left to chance and took the trouble to write it down. I was grateful for this, because it had not clearly registered with me that a special kidney check was in operation and an appointment with the doctor had to be booked within a fortnight.
All deaf people now qualify for interpreter support when seeing a doctor and this is absolutely essential to ensure there is no ambiguity during a consultation. We need highly skilled people for this work and the demand is so high some bookings need to be made a month or more before the appointment.
But even a few basic signs and the right attitude help to make deaf patients feel more relaxed and confident during visits to hospitals and surgeries. The manual alphabet can be acquired with practice in half an hour and, along with easy-to-learn signs such as good morning and thank you, should be part of all front-line staff training. And those illuminated name displays should be mandatory everywhere.
• Mariette Mulvenna from the Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID), has asked me to announce an Evening of Celebration planned for Saturday, November 25, in Belfast City Hall, from 7-11pm, celebrating 100 years of deaf heritage.
A play with deaf actors will celebrate the ministry of Francis Maginn and a video will portray the history of Wilton House over the century.
This is a ticket-only evening and if you want to attend contact the RNID quickly. Fax 9031 2032 or e-mail informationline@rnid.org.uk