Joel James MS, Senedd Member for South Wales Central has this week requested an oral statement from the Welsh Government on NHS Wales shortcomings.
The Member highlighted that in the recently published Royal National Institute for Deaf People's report, 'The Fight for Accessible Healthcare', evidence showed significant shortcomings of NHS Wales in meeting the communication needs of people who are deaf or who have hearing loss.
The report also revealed a persistent lack of systems and processes necessary for these individuals to access appropriate healthcare.
As Joel stated:
Despite the introduction of the all-Wales standards in 2013, which aimed to address this inequality and set the standard of care for people with sensory loss, little has changed over the past decade. This ongoing failure to provide proper access contravenes the rights established by various legislations, including the Equality Act 2010 and the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
Addressing the Trefnydd directly, Joel asked the Welsh Government to bring forward an oral statement where they can publicly restate its commitment to revising, strengthening and enforcing the all-Wales standards.
The Member also asked for the Welsh Government to commit to publishing an action plan with clear time frames on how it intends to improve healthcare accessibility for deaf individuals and those with hearing loss.
Speaking outside the Chamber, Joel said:
This week, I asked the Welsh Government for an oral statement on RNID's damning report - 'The Fight for Accessible Healthcare'.
The report highlights the significant shortcomings of NHS Wales in meeting the communication needs of people who are deaf or who have hearing loss.
Little has changed over the past decade, and this ongoing failure to provide proper access contravenes the rights established by various legislations.
The Welsh Government need to commit to revising, strengthening and enforcing the all-Wales standards and urgently publish an action plan on how it intends to improve healthcare accessibility for deaf individuals and those with hearing loss.
To watch Joel's contribution in full, please click here.
