British Sign Language (BSL) users can now get immediate help
communicating with pharmacists anywhere in Scotland through a new
UK-first video interpreting service.
The pilot lets BSL users connect with an interpreter via their
own smartphone. They can then speak face-to-face with pharmacy
staff about minor illnesses such as a sore throat or cough, with
no need to book in advance.
Deaf people who rely on BSL have previously faced communication
barriers when engaging with community pharmacies and this
represents a new way of independently obtaining support.
TheContact Scotland BSL Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) pilot was
introduced by the Scottish Government following engagement with
Scotland's deaf community and will run for six months.
Public Health Minister said:
"Pharmacy First is a vital service that gives quick and easy
access to advice and treatment for everyday health concerns,
often without needing an appointment. Now deaf BSL users can also
walk into any pharmacy and receive the same fast, independent
healthcare advice as everyone else.
This is removing barriers and ensuring BSL users are not left
waiting or without support when they need it. I want to help
people access more services at their fingertips, in their
communities and closer to home.
Scotland is the first part of the UK to have a fully funded
free-to-use service which has been shaped by the views of BSL
users themselves and this pilot is the next step in expanding
access. I thank everyone who helped the Scottish Government bring
this forward.
A spokesperson for Community Pharmacy Scotland said:
"We are pleased to see that this initiative seeks to enhance the
experience of people who use British Sign Language We expect that
pharmacy teams will have even greater confidence that they are
understanding and meeting the needs of the people in their
surrounding areas."
Contact Scotland BSL interpreters are supplied by Sign Solutions
and Managing Director Clare Vale said:
We are delighted to see the VRI pilot now live, marking a
significant milestone for the Contact Scotland BSL service. This
is an important step towards improving access to pharmacy
services for deaf and deafblind BSL users across Scotland. We
look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on
accessibility.
Background
The Contact Scotland BSL service launched in 2016 provides a free
interpreting video relay service that enables BSL users to make
telephone calls to people with no hearing loss and organisations
through a qualified interpreter. The Video Remote Interpreting
pilot builds on this.
There is no cost to pharmacies, as BSL users use their own
devices to access the service. The user scans a QR code, types
the pharmacy name and connects.
VRI Pilot | Contact Scotland
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland |
NHS inform
