A Spotlight Report on the Deaf Community in Medway

In 2020, Healthwatch Medway reported on difficulties in accessing healthcare experienced by the D/deaf community. In 2022 Healthwatch Medway shared a report prepared by Healthwatch England that showed that the Accessible Information Standard, a legal requirement created by NHS England in 2016, was still being compromised in Medway for the d/Deaf community.

On the 7th of March 2024, Healthwatch Medway attended the Medway Deaf Club in Gillingham to find out if people had found that access to healthcare had improved. 

This report shares our findings from talking to the d/Deaf community in Medway about their experiences, and the progression of access to healthcare.