For anyone who is a Deaf/BSL user, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, support is available to help you to contact us.
Contact 999 via the national 999BSL video relay service
Click on this link for more information https://999bsl.co.uk/ or download the ‘999BSL’ app to your phone to access a BSL video interpreter to contact any 999 service, ambulance, police, fire or coastguard. You can use this service 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
Contact NHS 111 via the national BSL video relay service
Click on this link k for more information https://signvideo.co.uk/nhs111/ or download the ‘SignVideo’ app to your phone to access a BSL video interpreter to contact the NHS 1111service. You can use this service 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
Relay UK emergencySMS
Click on this link for more information https://www.relayuk.bt.com/how-to-use-relay-uk/contact-999-using-relay-uk.html?s_cid=relay_furls_emergencysms or download the ‘RelayUK’ app to access the 999 service via text SMS message.
You must register your phone, Text the word 'register' to 999 , read the message and reply ‘yes’, you’ll get a message confirming you are registered and set up to use this service.
BSL video relay service – at the scene of an incident
A new service was launched in May 2024 that uses iPads on Ambulances to connect patients and paramedics with a remote BSL video interpreter (subject to 4/5G connectivity). This new service hopes to reduce these issues Deaf/BSL users experience and improve access to our services.
Frontline colleagues have received training. Click on this YouTube link for more information https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ev28zYwiE. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
The video below will be used to help to train staff and shows how the service will work: