A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) indicates that disabled individuals are not receiving adequate accessible communication, impacting their access to vital services and leading to serious mistakes. The PHSO, which investigates complaints about UK government departments and the NHS in England, stated that public services are legally obligated to support accessible communication needs for those with disabilities, neurodivergence, or who are not native English speakers.
A deaf patient, identified as Samantha, was mistakenly given a COVID-19 vaccine instead of a scheduled flu jab because a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter was not provided. According to the PHSO, staff failed to show her a BSL video that would have clarified the error. Samantha reported that the experience had a "profound impact" on her. She had booked her flu and COVID-19 vaccinations for separate weeks and had shown a nurse a note on her phone stating she was there for "the flu jab only." Despite this, the surgery proceeded with the COVID-19 vaccine, reportedly obtaining consent from Samantha's grandmother, who had early-stage dementia and was not present during the consultation.
Following its investigation, the PHSO recommended that the surgery issue an apology to Samantha and pay her £450. The practice has since contracted with a sign language interpreting company. NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board acknowledged Samantha's experience and stated its expectation that practices make "reasonable adjustments to support effective communication."
The report also highlighted the case of Alan Graham, a deaf man receiving cancer treatment at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust. In instances where an interpreter was unavailable, hospital staff allegedly asked his teenage grandson to communicate potentially life-altering news about Graham's prognosis to his deaf daughter.
According to the PHSO, disabled individuals risk missing crucial information related to their healthcare, finances, or employment due to the absence of accessible formats such as large print or audio materials. Between April 2020 and the report's findings, the ombudsman concluded 623 investigations concerning reasonable adjustments, with 496 of these being upheld or partially upheld.
The Department of Health and Social Care described the reported incidents as "deeply upsetting" and "completely unacceptable," reaffirming the duty of NHS and social care organizations to ensure services are accessible. The PHSO's findings underscore a broader systemic issue where a lack of accessible communication prevents disabled people from fully participating in and benefiting from public services.