Better communication for deaf people at London hospitals
People who are hearing impaired will now find communicating with staff at Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals easier.
The Disability Information Centre Epsom (DICE), a service based at Epsom Hospital, has bought three portable hearing loops for patients to use when visiting the hospitals.
Patients who are hard of hearing can borrow the loops and use them when talking to doctors, nurses and other staff, either in appointments or on wards.
The loops, which cost £100 each, help hearing aid users to hear more clearly by directing speech and reducing annoying background noise.
In addition to the new equipment, the trust is running training courses for staff which are given by specially-trained tutors who are partially deaf or partially sighted themselves.
