Health written question – answered at on 17 November 2004.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) guidance and (b) funding is available to general practitioner surgeries to make them more accessible to deaf-blind patients.
The Department and the Disability Rights Commission recently issued joint guidance for the primary care sector aimed at raising awareness of the duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and improving disabled people's experience of primary care services. This included a leaflet entitled "You Can Make A Difference—Improving primary care services for disabled people", for front line staff in general practitioner (GPs) surgeries and other primary care settings, which includes a number of practical ideas for improving services for people with sensory impairment. Furthermore, a wide range of information and guidance on disability access is available to GPs, both on the Department and NHS Estates websites and from external sources such as the Disability Rights Commission.
The Department recently announced an additional £108 million over two years for improving GP premises. The use of this money will be subject to local decision-making and prioritisation, which may include improving disability access.
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No0 people think not
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