A Calm Route Through Hospital: Deafblind Access at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s
Photo: deafblind patient hospital corridor guide dog accessibility UK, via i.ytimg.com
Attending hospital appointments can be unsettling for anyone. For a deafblind patient, the usual cues — the call of a name, a screen in a waiting area, a handwritten sign on a door — may be unavailable or unreliable. This guide sets out a practical route through Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and St James’s University Hospital, both run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. It is not a substitute for individual arrangements, but it offers a starting point for patients, families and supporters.
Before the appointment: make the request specific
When an appointment letter arrives, contact the department as early as possible. Do not simply ask for ‘a BSL interpreter’ if your preferred communication is tactile BSL, hands-on BSL or the deafblind manual alphabet. Ask for a tactile BSL interpreter or a deafblind interpreter with experience of guiding and communication support. If you use clear speech and lipreading, say so, and ask for a well-lit room and a quiet space. If you use block alphabet or a communicator-guide, name that too.
Ask for the appointment confirmation in an accessible format. Large print, braille, accessible email or a telephone call with an interpreter may all be appropriate. If you need a pre-appointment conversation to explain your needs, request it. It is better to repeat information than to arrive without the support you need.
Who to contact
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals switchboard can connect you to either hospital: 0113 243 2799. Ask for the relevant department, the interpreting and translation service, or the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). PALS can be reached on 0113 206 6261 and can help if an arrangement has not been made or if communication breaks down. If you cannot use a standard telephone, ask a supporter to call, use Relay UK, or use a video relay service if that is your usual method.
Keep a note of the date, the name of the person you spoke to and what was agreed. If you are told that a tactile interpreter is not available, ask what alternative communication support can be provided and whether the appointment can be moved. For non-urgent appointments, rescheduling may be safer than attending without the right support.
On the day: arrival and finding departments
At LGI and St James’s, main reception can act as a starting point, but it is not a guaranteed meet-and-greet service. If you have not arranged to be met, ask reception to contact the department and request a member of staff to guide you. Be explicit: ‘I am deafblind and I need someone to walk with me to the department’ is clearer than ‘I need directions’.
Where a staff escort is not immediately available, ask for step-by-step instructions with physical landmarks rather than door colours or visual signs. For example, ask how many doors you will pass, whether the route turns left or right, and whether there are stairs or lifts. If you use a guide dog, say so when arranging the appointment so that space and relief arrangements can be considered.
Lifts, corridors and waiting areas vary across both hospital sites. Do not assume that tactile signage will be present. A staff member walking with you is usually more reliable than a written map you cannot read. If you are left at a department, ask the receptionist to record that you are present and to alert you in person rather than by calling your name.
Waiting areas and communication
Hospital waiting areas can be busy and echoey. Ask, in advance if possible, for a quieter space or a corner away from the main desk. If a quiet room is not available, agree a simple signal with staff — for example, a gentle touch on the shoulder or arm, with your consent — so that you know when you are being approached. Make sure staff know not to assume that you can hear an announcement.
Carry a communication card if you use one. It can state your preferred communication method, whether you use tactile BSL, and how staff should get your attention. For short exchanges, pen and paper or a notes app can help, but these are not a substitute for an interpreter when consent, diagnosis or treatment options are being discussed.
Consent, examinations and concerns
You have a right to information you can understand before you consent to examination or treatment. If an interpreter has not arrived and the appointment is not urgent, say that you would prefer to wait or reschedule. In urgent care, ask staff to arrange emergency interpreting support and to explain what is happening in your preferred way. Ask them to speak to you, not only to the person accompanying you.
If something goes wrong — an interpreter is not booked, a member of staff speaks only to your supporter, or you are left without guiding assistance — raise it with the department manager and with PALS. A calm, specific account is usually most effective: what was agreed, what happened and what you need next time. Leeds Deafblind Hub also welcomes feedback through leedsdeafandblind.org.uk so that recurring gaps can be highlighted.
A note on gaps
Hospital accessibility is not yet seamless. Tactile signage is limited, waiting areas can be noisy and individual staff may not have met a deafblind patient before. The workarounds in this guide are not a substitute for systemic change, but they can make an appointment more manageable. The most useful question to ask is often the simplest: ‘How will you communicate with me and guide me when I arrive?’
