This page contains information for our Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing patients.
We are committed to supporting the needs of our patients with hearing loss.
If you are a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can contact us through an interpreter.
If you are coming to one of our hospitals, please check with our staff that your notes have your communication needs. If your mobile phone number is registered with us, you should get your appointment reminders via text message.
For our Deaf patients, we offer face-to-face appointments automatically. We will book a BSL interpreter for your appointment or procedure.
If an interpreter can't be booked or fails to turn up, we have access to remote video BSL interpretation on all our computers. We also have laptops for remote video BSL interpretation. These are available in our outpatient departments at Hexham, Wansbeck and North Tyneside hospitals. They also have them available for emergency patients at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital.
For our hard of hearing patients, please let a member of staff know if they need to speak clearly for you, if you need to lip-read or if you are having problems hearing us.
If you wear hearing aids with a T-switch, please turn it on when you see this symbol. For example, at our reception desks and in some clinical areas. This will allow you to use the hearing loop systems and to reduce background noise.
If you are coming into hospital, please remember to bring in your hearing aids, spare batteries and spare tubing.
We welcome your feedback on anything we can do to support patients. You can find out how to contact us here.
Thanks to the D/deaf awareness project funded through our Bright charity, we have D/deaf awareness cards available for patients to use.
For more information, contact brightcharity
- North East Mental Health and Deafness Service, run by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), has produced two BSL videos with members of the Deaf community to highlight the support available to them in a crisis - https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/news/videos-produced-to-showcase-crisis-support-available-to-deaf-community/
- The Macmillan Deaf Cancer Support Project provides virtual emotional and practical support to Deaf people living with cancer across the UK. It also supports their carers, including Deaf people who are supporting a hearing person living with cancer: https:/
/ deafcancersupport.org.uk/
Support and community groups:
|
Name of organisation |
Website & postal address |
Email & phone contacts |
|
Northumberland and District Deaf Club |
Cramlington Working Men’s Club, Park View, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 6QJ |
Email: secretarynddc |
|
Northumberland Sensory Services/BID |
Northumberland Sensory Services, 6a Manchester Street, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1BH |
Email: northumberland Facebook: https:// Telephone: 01670 293150 Mobile: 07872 403788 |
|
Deaf Awareness North East
|
The Linskill Centre |
Email: info Tel: Call the organiser: 07734 176 196
|
|
Deaflink
|
4 Glendale Terrace Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1PB
|
admin Minicom/Phone:0191 281 2314 SMS/Text only:07897 329 359 Fax:0191 212 0300 Skype: deaflink.deaflink Moblie:07515 450 786 Glide:07515 450 786 |
|
Tynemouth Sign Language Social |
The Salutation Inn, 63 Front St, Tynemouth |
|
|
Deaf and Sign Social, Whitley Bay |
Whitley Bay Big Local, 158 Whitley Road, NE26 2LY |
andy. Tel: 0191 2523570 |
|
Deaf Community Monthly, North Shields |
Christ Church Parish Centre, Preston Rd, North Shields, NE29 0LW |
|
|
Sign it Hear CIC |
Café Nero – St Mary’s Place, Newcastle |
info@signithear.com |
|
Northumbria Deaf Church/Mission
|
St Andrew's Church, Newgate Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 5SS |
http:// Email: northumbria_dm Tel:0191 221 0444 Fax:0191 221 0444 |
|
Becoming Visible |
https:/ 4th Floor Mea House, Ellison Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 8XS |
Tel: 0191 233 0999/0777 581 1150 Fax: 0191 233 1334 |
|
Newcastle Deaf Centre |
http:/ 2, Summerhill Grove, |
newcastle. Voice/Fax: 0191 232 4104 Barry Siddons 07833 432 044 |
|
Sign Naturally |
https://www.sign-naturally.co.uk/ St Andrew’s Church Hall, Newgate St, Newcastle |
enquiries Text077 9258 8739
|
|
Hexham and Newcastle Diocesan Deaf Service |
http:// Catholic Deaf Service North East |
Mobile phone: (Text only) 07411 449 959 |
|
RNID
|
|
Email: information Tel:0808 808 0123 |
Please find below a list of resources and support services, which may help if you need mental health support.
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust - https://
SignHealth:
- https://signhealth.org.uk/with-deaf-people/psychological-therapy/mental-health-group-workshops/
- https://signhealth.org.uk/with-deaf-people/psychological-therapy/
- https://signhealth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Report-Shaping-the-future-of-deaf-mental-health.pdf
SHOUT - https://giveusashout.org/ (Text DEAF to 85258)
Deaf Action - https://deafaction.org/services/bsl-health-wellbeing-support/
Royal Association for Deaf People:
https://royaldeaf.org.uk/advocacy/
https://royaldeaf.org.uk/advice/
https://royaldeaf.org.uk/video-categories/health-and-wellbeing/
The British Society for Mental Health and Deafness:
https://bsmhd.org.uk/activate/ (BSL mental health and wellbeing course)
Deaf Unity - https://deafunity.org/resource/accessible-mental-health-services/
Disability Plus (now incorporating Deaf4Deaf) - https://www.disabilityplus.co.uk/bsl-counselling-psychotherapy/
Simple steps to keep you safe during your hospital stay
You may be feeling anxious about being in hospital. Keeping you safe and well is a priority for the staff looking after you. There are also some simple things you can do to help keep yourself safe during your stay. This includes:
- Asking for help when needed
- Protecting yourself from slips and falls
- Helping to prevent blood clots
Do you need an ambulance?
Usher syndrome