For some groups of people, a combination of factors such as discrimination, prejudice, stigma and life circumstances, steadily increase their risk of poor health.
Some groups are protected by equality laws. Many use health services where their additional needs can be met through Inequalities Sensitive Practice.
Some groups cross over into the protected characteristics listed above, such as Asylum Seekers & Refugees and Gypsy Travellers who are included in the NHSGGC Ant-Racism Plan.
The Scottish Government has produced its second British Sign Language National Plan 2024-30, as required by the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015. It sets out actions for the next four years to help realise Scotland’s ambition to be the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work and visit. Other public bodies, including NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC), have now published their own, local BSL plans for this period.
In putting together our local plan, we consulted with our Deaf BSL patients to gather opinions and ideas. This included patient group involvement, BSL local events, Facebook feedback and an event for Deafblind people.
NHSGGC is already involved a range of activities to help raise awareness amongst patients and staff about BSL as a language and culture and to make sure our patients have access to BSL interpreting whenever they need it.
BSL Interpreting Service
It is the responsibility of NHSGGC staff to book an interpreter for patients attending any of our healthcare services.
We can offer a short deaf awareness session that can be delivered online or face to face. The session lasts 30 minutes and is open to all staff.
The learning session covers how to work with BSL interpreters, deafness as a cultural identity and exploring BSL as a language as its own right. This learning will enable staff to communicate more confidently with our Deaf patients and ultimately provide the best possible care.
Deaf people can be at higher risk of mental health problems due to communication barriers and isolation. We also know from talking to Deaf patients that they face barriers to accessing mental health services because of a lack of information in British Sign Language and understanding of Deaf culture in general. NHSGGC wants to improve access to mental health services and ensure that they are the best they can be for the Deaf community. We have recently introduced a glossary of BSL signs for mental health on our BSL You Tube channel.
A Deaf Mental Health Peer Support Worker has been employed to work across 5 Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) in Greater Glasgow & Clyde. They will use their lived experience to support patients from the Deaf community in accessing CMHT’s and also in their own recovery journey.
The Peer Support Worker is part of the multi-disciplinary team in Adult Mental Health Services with in-reach to patients whilst in hospital. It is hoped that this support may help patients avoid admission to hospital or reduce the length of stay.
Translated versions of any NHSGGC resource or information relating to individual clinical care can be obtained by asking a member of staff. General health information in also available from British Sign Language (BSL) | NHS inform
Staff can request information in BSL via the Clear to All web page.
Learn Basic BSL
Our popular beginner’s BSL classes are regularly offered to NHSGGC staff.
The six week course offers an insight into how Deaf people communicate and covers the alphabet, how to introduce yourself, colours, numbers and role playing.
The BSL Health Champions are a group of volunteers from the Deaf BSL community who are patients of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The Champions advise NHSGGC about the main issues and concerns for BSL patients when using our hospitals and other health services. They also work with us to make information about health accessible for BSL users.
Group meetings are public and any Deaf BSL user who lives in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area is welcome to attend. The group also has a Facebook page which is used to share information and to get feedback from the BSL community.
Research project exploring BSL users’ experience of psychological therapy
These web pages explain what we are doing to address discrimination and bring about better equalities in health.
We want to ensure that everyone who uses our healthcare services, or works for us, is treated fairly. This means making sure that services are working well for everyone and that people are getting information in a way they can understand.
We also report on how we are upholding the equality laws designed to protect people from unfair discrimination.
To view these reports, find out more about our work and to contact the NHSGGC Equality & Human Rights Team, see below.
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