GP Practice set to pilot Doncaster created Sign Language course
Deaf pupils and students in Doncaster want to see more health professionals communicate with them via sign language and two local GP teams have agreed to pilot an online British Sign Language course.
Nelson Practice and Bentley Surgery have agreed to try out the free online British Sign Language Course, developed by Doncaster Deaf Trust in a bid to help more people learn to sign.
The online level one course, developed thanks to lottery funding, is something that participants can do at their own pace and at any time.
Alexis Johnson, executive principal of Doncaster Deaf Trust said: “We are thrilled that Nelson Practice and Bentley Surgery are going to be our pilot health teams to try out the course and encourage their team to learn this vital skill.
“Our pupils and students would benefit greatly by being able to communicate with medical professionals in their first language – sign language.
“This is a great step forward in Doncaster becoming a Deaf aware town and we hope the first step in more people learning to sign.”
The free course delivers level one BSL content. If participants want to take an exam at the end they can do this via a third party and there is a cost associated with the exam.
Debbie Forbes Hughes, Practice Manager from Nelson Practice/ Bentley Surgery said: “We saw the appeal for a GP surgery to take part in this pilot and were happy to put our names forward.
“We know how important communication is in a health setting and anything that will help us to communicate better with patients can only be a good thing.
“We are looking forward to joining the course and learning the basics.”
To sign up to have a look at the free course visit www.doncasterdeafsign.org.uk
To discuss this further or to become a pilot practice, please contact info@sidekickpr.com
