Information Governance

Transcription

1 Information Governance Dept of ehealth NHS Grampian Rosehill House Foresterhill Site Cornhill Road Aberdeen AB25 2ZG BY Date 16 February 2015 Our Ref FOI/2015/030 Enquiries to Information Governance Team Extension Direct Line Dear Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 I refer to your letter dated 16 January 2015, requesting: [For the] period from 1 April 2010 to the present day. Please provide us with the following information: 1. The number of recorded instances that someone who is deaf, deafblind or has a hearing, voice, speech or language disorder has accessed your services including, hospital admissions, clinic appointments, outpatient appointments, GP referrals, home visits etc. Please also include where possible: i. Which service the person was accessing at the time; ii. Whether use of your service was planned or unplanned, that is, was it an emergency or a routine appointment? III. How you became aware of the communication need; iv. How you addressed and met the communication need; v. Whether a communication support was requested; vi. The number of recorded instances that a communication support (for example, a BSL interpreter, lipspeaker, palantypist or notetaker) was provided. 2. The number of complaints you have received concerning the failure to meet the communication needs of people who are deaf, deafblind or have a hearing, voice, speech or language disorder, the issues that were raised and what action you took in response to each complaint; 3. Copies of all of your policies, guidelines, minutes and any other documents that relate to meeting the communication needs of disabled people;

2 4. A copy of the Equality Impact Assessment of your policies and your practices together with the evidence and equality data you have collected in relation to meeting the communication needs of people who are deaf, deafblind or have a hearing, voice, speech or language disorder; 5. Copies of any relevant staff training manuals or guidance and the number of related staff training events; 6. Copies of any agreements or procedures you have in place to circulate information about communication needs between various NHS services or external organisations; 7. Copies of the materials and resources you have in place to make people aware of the services and support you provide I can now respond as follows: The number of recorded instances that someone who is deaf, deafblind or has a hearing, voice, speech or language disorder has accessed your services including, hospital admissions, clinic appointments, outpatient appointments, GP referrals, home visits etc. Please also include where possible: i. Which service the person was accessing at the time; AND, ii. Whether use of your service was planned or unplanned, that is, AND, was it an emergency or a routine appointment? AND, III. How you became aware of the communication need; AND, iv. How you addressed and met the communication need; AND, v. Whether a communication support was requested; NHS Grampian can advise that the information requested above from points 1(i) to 1(v) is not collected as it is not practically possible; s.17 of the Act refers Information not held. For example, over the last four years, NHS Grampian has purchased and issued over 250 Portable Induction Loops (PILs) to help patients who use a hearing aid. These have been supplied to GP Practices, Hospital Outpatient Clinics and Hospital wards and departments. The PILs are in addition to the fixed loop systems. It would simply not be possible to record every time a patient benefitted from the use of one of the PILs or fixed loop systems. vi. The number of recorded instances that a communication support (for example, a BSL interpreter, lipspeaker, palantypist or notetaker) was provided. a) BSL interpreters All requests made by patients to NHS Grampian for a BSL interpreter when receiving health care are met. In 2012/13 and 2013/14, the total NHS Grampian spend on BSL interpretation was: BSL spend in 2012/13 BSL spend in 2013/14 42,000 inc VAT where applicable 44,200 inc VAT where applicable

3 b) Lipspeakers We can advise that no requests for Lipspeakers have been received since April c) Palantypist or Notetaker When the NHS Disability Discrimination Act Review Group carry out involvement and consultation events with local disability communities, the services of palantypist(s) are always offered to participants. In 2014, a patient made a request for a palantypist at short notice for an outpatient appointment. There are no palantypists available in Grampian, all come from the central belt and it was simply not possible to arrange one at such short notice. Other forms of communication support were provided, including a BSL interpreter, which met the patient s communication needs. The number of complaints you have received concerning the failure to meet the communication needs of people who are deaf, deafblind or have a hearing, voice, speech or language disorder, the issues that were raised and what action you took in response to each complaint. Please see the attached document FOI Complaints. Copies of all of your policies, guidelines, minutes and any other documents that relate to meeting the communication needs of disabled people. Please find attached a copy of the NHS Grampian Equality Outcomes document, which was updated in August Information on disability is shown on pages Specific information on communication support is shown on pages 17 and 18. Also attached are the last three Notes of Meeting from the NHS Grampian Disability Discrimination Act Review Group (DDARG) which meets every two months. The DDARG has a wide membership of 27 with a majority being disabled people or Chairs of local disability, carer or age related organisations. There is also NHS Grampian staff representation. The DDARG are responsible for the taking forward the disability and age equality agendas within NHS Grampian as well as the production and implementation of the Annual Disability and Age Action Plan. They also manage the Annual Programme of Physical Improvements to assist disabled people and elderly people. As well as the organisations represented around the table, the DDARG use involvement and consultation seminars every two years, to involve and consult large numbers of disabled people, carers and older members of our community on specific major items of work. Feedback from these events, together with input from the DDARG, directly informs the NHS Grampian Equality objectives. The most recent seminar was held in Elgin on Monday 24 th September Please find attached: The DDARG Note of Meeting of Monday 21 st July 2014 The DDARG Note of Meeting of Monday 29 th September 2014 The DDARG Note of Meeting of Monday 17 th November 2014 As can be seen, disability communication support is prominent in the work of the DDARG, at every meeting. A copy of the Equality Impact Assessment of your policies and your

4 practices together with the evidence and equality data you have collected in relation to meeting the communication needs of people who are deaf, deafblind or have a hearing, voice, speech or language disorder. AND, Copies of any relevant staff training manuals or guidance and the number of related staff training events. A copy of the Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment for the updated Equality and Diversity Equality Outcomes is attached. This comprises a Rapid Impact Assessment Checklist (RIC) and a RIC Summary sheet. No detailed Comments sheet was required. There is no reliable data about the numbers of people in Grampian who have specific communication needs. Our approach is simply to meet the communication needs of all patients, in a pro-active manner. In 2013/14, over 1,200 staff attended Equality and Diversity Training Seminars. 42 Training Seminars were held. All attendees, as part of their training, received their own personal copy of the NHS Education for Scotland Z card on Sensory Impairment, Points for Good Communication. This contains helpful advice on communicating with patients who might be deaf, hard of hearing or visually impaired. Copies of any agreements or procedures you have in place to circulate information about communication needs between various NHS services or external organisations. As can be seem from the DDARG Notes of Meeting, already attached, there is wide representation around the DDARG table of local disability, carer and age related groups. This is a key forum for discussion and information sharing. The Notes of Meeting receive a wide distribution. NHS Grampian also works closely with North East Sensory Services, Deaf Action, Aberdeen Action on Disability and other groups. NHS Grampian has in place a number of Service Level Agreements; three with BSL interpretation providers and one with the Grampian Regional Equality Council. We also use Hi-Net, our internet web site and the North East of Scotland Equalities Network (NESEN) web site. Copies of the materials and resources you have in place to make people aware of the services and support you provide. Please see attached; four examples are attached; this is a small sample of the material available. Under section 20 (1) of the Act, if you are dissatisfied with the way NHS Grampian has dealt with your request, you have a right to request a review of our actions and decisions in relation to your request, and you have a right to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner. A request for review must be made within 40 working days and should, in the first instance, be in writing to: Directorate of Corporate Communications, Ashgrove House, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN or by to grampian@nhs.net

5 Requests for appeal should be made in writing to: Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS Telephone: , Fax: Yours sincerely Chris Morrice Information Governance Manager NHS Grampian