Press Release issued: 6 March 2010
How realistic is the concept of 'patients' rights' in a gargantuan bureaucracy like the NHS? Can we really create a more responsive health service for the 21st century?
This Saturday, two leading charities will ask these questions at the Scottish Liberal Democrats' annual conference in Perth.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People Scotland and the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland are holding a fringe meeting that will be addressed by party health spokesperson Ross Finnie MSP.
A new Patients' Rights Bill will be introduced in the Scottish Parliament this year by the government. Accessible information is one shared concern that both charities are actively campaigning on.
Delia Henry, director of RNID Scotland, said: "The NHS may belong to everyone, but many people feel they cannot challenge decisions or demand a better service. One in seven people in Scotland are deaf or hard of hearing, and for many trying to access healthcare can be a huge challenge.
"NHS staff are often not aware of how best to communicate with this client-group and this can lead to all kinds of problems and frustrations - from not being aware that your name has been called to see a doctor, to not having your prescription clearly explained. A Patients' Rights Bill is essential if people are to get healthcare that meets their needs."
John Legg, Director of RNIB Scotland, said that people with sight loss can experience similar problems.
"Recent research has found that 95 per cent of blind and partially sighted people questioned weren't asked what format they required when given information," he said, "while 81 per cent said they received information about their prescribed medicines - including dosage instructions and warnings - in a format they couldn't read.
"This ignores the right of people with sensory loss to confidentiality, denies them their ability to exercise choice, and can even endanger their safety. We need to enshrine patients' rights in the NHS so people see themselves as more than just passive recipients of healthcare."
RNIB trustee Cindy Godfrey-Mckay, who has sight loss due to a condition that affects the light-sensitive cells at the retina at the back of the eye, will also speak at the fringe meeting.
Ms Godfrey-McKay said: "As a registered blind physiotherapist, I understand the pressures faced by busy healthcare professionals. We all have different needs, but for patients with sight loss the choices basically aren't much more than a phone call, a letter in large print, braille or audio. The NHS can easily deal with the first two, and RNIB Scotland can provide the other formats."