Healthcare staff in provision of services rendered need to obtain information and give advice, and patients need to ask questions and share their concerns. Therefore, to provide a thorough service for hearing impaired patients, it is of paramount importance that their communication needs are acknowledged and addressed by those responsible for the providing healthcare service.

We are pleased to let you know about a new e-learning resource that is free and available to all staff.

The module covers the following key learning outcomes:

*     Recognise the different types of communication support needs.

*     Describe the basics of BSL as a language and the rights of BSL users.

*     Respond appropriately to the communication preference of BSL users.

*     Reflect on ways of improving current practice.

NHS Health Scotland's Workforce Development team developed the module in partnership with BSL users and colleagues from DeafScotland, Deafblind Scotland, the Care Inspectorate, the Scottish Social Services Council, NHS Education Scotland, NHS Lothian and NHS Forth Valley.

We encourage all care service providers and staff to enrol themselves onto this short and enjoyable module. Follow the link at the bottom of this email to NHS Health Scotland's Virtual Learning Environment.

Please note, new users will need to create an account and log in before accessing the course. You can create a new account on the following link

Enrolment

Self-enrolment: Once you have created an account and logged in, click the following link and self-enrol in the course.