SignHealth has been awarded a national contract from NHS England to supply Talking Therapies in British Sign Language (BSL), to support Deaf people experiencing mental health concerns.  

Marking the first time NHS England has awarded a national contract to a Deaf specialist service, it is hoped that the new NHS contract will remove a major funding barrier for Deaf people seeking vital mental health support.

Accessible therapy for Deaf people previously relied on funding being approved by CCGs on an individual basis for each Deaf patient in England. The regional approach often resulted in a ‘postcode lottery’, with some CCGs not approving therapy in BSL for their Deaf patients whilst others had long waiting periods before funding would be approved, delaying the start of therapy sessions considerably.  

With regards to Talking Therapies, Deaf people previously had the option of obtaining a sign language interpreter for their therapy sessions. However, studies indicate that the presence of a third party during a therapy session can have a negative impact on patient outcomes.

James Watson-O’Neill, Chief Executive at SignHealth, said: “We are so proud of this achievement. This is a truly ground-breaking step forwards for Deaf services in England. The NHS is listening and taking action to address the structural barriers Deaf people face.”

Recent research shows that many NHS trusts are not meeting their legal duty to help people with additional communication needs. According to Healthwatch, of the 139 NHS trusts that responded to a FOI request, only 35 per cent said they fully complied with the Accessible Information Standard, a legal requirement created by NHS England in 2016.

The standard requires that all publicly funded health and social care providers identify, record, flag, share and meet the information and communication needs of those who use their services, to ensure equal access to healthcare.