In this article, Daniel Williams of Visualise Training and Consultancy looks at the barriers patients with sensory loss face.
Gather around, dear reader, for the tale of the legendary receptionist, protector of the GP realm. Their gatekeeping skills are unmatched, training in empathy suspiciously absent, and the ability to conjure up arbitrary rules genuinely awe-inspiring.
Imagine this: you’re visually impaired and trying to reorder your prescription. You call the surgery, ready for a polite exchange. But lo and behold, the receptionist greets you with, “Oh, no, we don’t do phone orders. Or email orders. Or really, anything that makes your life easier.” It’s like playing a never-ending “Guess the Policy” game where the rules change every five minutes.
But fear not, for we have the NHS Accessible Information Standard! A valiant decree stating that people with disabilities are entitled to information in a way they can understand. And, of course, there’s the mighty Equality Act 2010, championing your right to equal access. These are laws, not optional guidelines! Yet, our gatekeeper wields their keyboard like a shield, fending off logic and basic decency.
What’s the training process for this? A crash course in stonewalling? A seminar titled “How to Say No Without Actually Helping”? You can almost picture them being handed a script:
- “It’s policy.”
- “We’ve always done it this way.”
- “Sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”
Here’s the kicker: they’ll tell you to write a complaint letter when challenged. Oh, the irony! If you can’t order a prescription without barriers, what makes them think you can write a letter easily?
We jest, of course. The situation isn’t funny when you’re the one struggling. But perhaps, with a bit of humour and a sprinkle of accountability, we can inspire surgeries to level up their training and embrace accessibility. Because the NHS is for everyone—not just those who can navigate the receptionist’s maze.
To find out more about accessibility and inclusion, visit https://visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com