Help for people with hearing or speech impairments  

British Sign Language Service (BSL) and other ‘non-spoken interpreting’ services) 

This website enables GP practices in the east of England to book non-spoken interpreting services for deaf or deaf/blind patients. There is information about how to request this support and how to book this support for a patient.  NHS England – East of England – Customer Hub (empire-groupuk.com)

For patients who are deaf or who have a hearing loss or impaired speech and need help to communicate over the phone, a confidential service, called Relay UK, can also help with this. The service will connect someone to a relay assistant.   

• If the patient cannot hear, the relay assistant can type what the caller is saying so that you can read their responses.  
• If the patient cannot speak the assistant will read their typed responses to you.
    
  To access the service download the free Relay UK app onto your smartphone, tablet or computer and link it to your phone number.   
  
  Find out more about the Relay UK service for people with hearing or speech impairments.  
  
  Patients can contact NHS 111 using the Relay UK app by dialling 18001.  
  
  Patients can also contact NHS 111 by dialling 18001 111 on a textphone.  
  
  Patients can make an emergency 999 call with Relay UK, by dialling 18000 instead of the normal 18001 through the Relay UK app or from a textphone. Find out more about calling 999 through Relay UK.  
  
  
  Patients can also contact the emergency services by text using emergencySMS. You must register your phone before you can send a text message to 999 using the emergencySMS service. Text the word ‘register’ to 999. Find out more about emergencySMS and how to use it on the Relay UK website.