British Sign Language (BSL) On this page you will find information about: Contacting us in an emergency Contact Scotland BSL Relay UK BSL Information at NHS Inform NHS Near Me Making a complaint Reasonable adjustments NHS Lothian Strategic BSL Plan NHS Lothian Equality and Human Rights In an emergency BSL users can use 999 BSL for police, ambulance, fire or coastguard. A 999 BSL Emergency Video Relay Service app is also available. See Frequently Asked Questions about 999 BSL Contact Scotland BSL BSL users who may have hearing loss or a condition affecting speech can get in touch with Contact Scotland to make telephone calls to public, voluntary and private sector services 24 hours a day. Non-emergency calls only (not 999 calls). A Contact Scotland BSL app is also available for Apple and Android devices. Relay UK See the Relay UK app from British Telecom for assistance with phone communication. BSL Information at NHS Inform What is NHS inform?NHS inform is Scotland’s national health information service. It exists to help people make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for. BSL information from NHS inform Visit the NHS inform website to view information about immunisation, screening and other health topics in British Sign Language (BSL). See information in British Sign Language (BSL) about the NHS Inform webchat service NHS Near Me Watch BSL-signed videos on YouTube about Near Me, NHS Lothian’s remote video appointment service: Making a complaint Visit NHS Lothian’s Your Rights & Privacy page for information about giving feedback or making a complaint. See BSL-signed video below. Reasonable adjustments What are reasonable adjustments? We have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This requires us to take positive steps to ensure that disabled people can access our services and can access and progress in employment. It is a cornerstone of the Equality Act 2010 and goes beyond simply avoiding discrimination. We are required to anticipate the needs of disabled people using our services and so far as is reasonably practicable, to make sure the access they enjoy is as near as possible to that enjoyed by the rest of the public. Although Deaf BSL users may not consider themselves disabled, they have protection from disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 and our duty to make reasonable adjustments may apply. How do I request a reasonable adjustment? To request a reasonable adjustment, please ask the NHS Lothian service you are involved with or ask your GP to include the request for reasonable adjustment in any referral information. NHS Lothian Strategic BSL Plan Access NHS Lothian’s British Sign Language Plan 2024 – 2030 in BSL. NHS Lothian Equality and Human Rights Access NHS Lothian’s Equality and Human Rights webpage to view a BSL summary of our strategy and strategic priorities.
