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These barriers contribute to reduced healthcare-seeking behaviour, poorer access to health information, and adverse health outcomes. In response, a multidisciplinary working group of patients, clinicians, researchers, and charity representatives was established to investigate accessibility, communication, and deaf awareness within the United Kingdom\u2019s (UK) National Health Service (NHS).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the communication and accessibility experiences of PDHL NHS patients, and their perceived impact on well-being. The survey used rating scales and open-ended questions and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The survey was made available in British Sign Language (BSL).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The online survey was completed by 556 PDHL, including 50 parents, carers, or family members who had accompanied PDHL friends or relatives to NHS appointments. All respondents had used NHS services within the last 24 months, with 10% identifying BSL as their preferred language. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses generated three key themes: 1) Accessibility challenges, 2) Impact of communication difficulties across the service pathway, and 3) Lack of consistent, effective deaf-aware communication. Overall, 64.4% of PDHL NHS patients reported missing 50% or more of the important information provided during their NHS appointments, and 32% were satisfied with the communication skills of healthcare staff.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This study presents the largest UK-wide dataset of its kind, and findings highlight the widespread non-compliance with the legally mandated Accessible Information Standards (AIS) within NHS services. The communication barriers identified in this study have significant and long-term implications for the well-being of PDHL patients. Utilising these findings, our working group has developed a set of \u2018Recommendations For Change\u2019 to improve deaf awareness and effective communication across the NHS.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0322850","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]],"date-time":"2025-05-07T17:50:36Z","timestamp":1746640236000},"page":"e0322850","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["\u201cI always feel like I\u2019m the first deaf person they have ever met:\u201d Deaf Awareness, Accessibility and Communication in the United Kingdom\u2019s National Health Service (NHS): How can we do better?"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5772-5067","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Bhavisha","family":"Parmar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0547-4403","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Helen","family":"Henshaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shahad","family":"Howe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ann Marie","family":"Dickinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Crystal","family":"Rolfe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Philip","family":"Le Mere","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanuelle","family":"Blondiaux-Ding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zara","family":"Musker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachel","family":"Stevenson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah E.","family":"Hughes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sian","family":"Calvert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emma","family":"Stapleton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Turton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,7]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0322850.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"873","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afaa041","article-title":"Age-related hearing loss and provider-patient communication across primary and secondary care settings: a cross-sectional study","volume":"49","author":"S Smith","year":"2020","journal-title":"Age Ageing"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0322850.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1097\/TP.0000000000005080","article-title":"Understanding the healthcare needs of living kidney donors using the picker principles of patient-centered care: a scoping review","volume":"109","author":"K Loban","year":"2025","journal-title":"Transplantation"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0322850.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"394","DOI":"10.1016\/j.radi.2023.12.016","article-title":"Elements of person-centred diagnostic imaging care in low-and middle-income countries: A systematic review","volume":"30","author":"ANA Adjei","year":"2024","journal-title":"Radiography (Lond)"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0322850.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"685","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-017-2614-4","article-title":"Evaluating patient experiences in decentralised acute care using the Picker Patient Experience Questionnaire; methodological and clinical findings","volume":"17","author":"A-CL Leonardsen","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0322850.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e030005","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-030005","article-title":"Patients\u2019 perspectives on integrated oral healthcare in a northern Quebec Indigenous primary health care organisation: a qualitative study","volume":"9","author":"R Shrivastava","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"pone.0322850.ref006","unstructured":"British Society of Audiology. 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