DOCTORS at a Scottish hospital issued a deaf man with a “do not resuscitate” (DNR) order without his knowledge or consent because of what they called “communication difficulties”.
The profoundly deaf man – who wants to remain anonymous – is a resident at supported accommodation for deaf adults at Slateford Green, in Edinburgh which is run by charity Deaf Action.
He is in his 60s, with a good quality of life and had no knowledge of the decision that had been made for him.
Deaf Action said it now worries that the NHS and healthcare professionals consider deaf people are not worth saving, and is extremely concerned that because of the communication barriers they face every day, deaf people’s lives are being undervalued.
The man was given the DNR order (pictured below) while attending a routine appointment at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, with no communication support.
It states that “In the event of a cardiac or respiratory arrest no attempt to at cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are intended.”
When support staff at Deaf Action examined the DNR order, they saw the reason given was “communication difficulties”.
The charity’s team discussed the order with the man, and hurriedly arranged an appointment with his GP.
A British Sign Language (BSL)-English interpreter was arranged for the appointment, so the GP could discuss the DNR with the man, ensuring it was lifted.
Alison Richards, Deaf Action’s support manager at Slateford Green, said: “We were shocked with the gentleman came back from his appointment and handed us the letter.
“He had no idea what it was, so asked us about it. We can’t believe he was given a DNR order without consulting with him.
“Everybody has a right to make a decision about their health, and that includes deaf people.”
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The charity said BSL users have the same right to access information as everyone else, and without interpreters or communication support, deaf people are being left out of the conversation about their own lives.
In this case, the charity has not raised a complaint as its primary focus has been to have the DNR order lifted, which it now has.
It is understood they will call for a full investigation now it has been revoked.
However, the key issue is the lack of support provided for the man, particularly when NHS Lothian employs full-time interpreters.
Deaf Action said its goal was to ensure such a case does not happen again, and that provision for interpreters are always available to BSL users when they need them.
Gordon Hay, the charity’s head of operations, added: “It’s a shocking failure that ‘communication difficulties’ were cited on this DNR order.
“British Sign Language was formally recognised in Scotland in 2015, so deaf people have a legal right to access information in BSL.
“Provision for language interpreters is absolutely vital – they provide smooth communication between deaf and hearing people, and that communication can stop problems like this from happening in the first place.
“It doesn’t matter what language we use – ‘communication difficulties’ should not be a reason to potentially end a person’s life.”
NHS Lothian has been approached for comment.
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