Deaf people are asked to rate the treatment they receive from the NHS and private providers

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) works with Disability Rights UK to ensure deaf people receive effective treatment from the NHS and other healthcare providers.

The CQC has installed SignLive on its website, so people can provide feedback in British Sign Language. People can also get in touch using the RelayUK app, for those who prefer to communicate via text.

CQC Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, Kate Terroni, said: “We are committed to tackling health inequities and reducing barriers to care.

“The lived experience of deaf and hard of hearing people, and the wider community, is important in understanding how the care provided to them can be improved. We want to learn from their experience and drive those improvements and make sure people receive quality and safe care.”

Disability Rights UK’s head of advice and information, Michael Paul, said: “We have a long and fruitful relationship with the Care Quality Commission to encourage people with disabilities to share their experiences of the care services they “they use. We’re really excited to be working together again to reach more people with disabilities and ultimately improve care services for people with disabilities and everyone else.”

It is estimated that one in six people are deaf or hard of hearing, which is around 11 million people in the UK.