Did you know that there are millions of people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss, or have a hearing condition called tinnitus?

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) (2025) has shared that there are over 18 million adults with this form of disability. Over half of the population (50%) aged 55 years and older has hearing loss, and this percentage increases to 80% among those aged 70 years and older.

In the NHS, many cancer patients with auditory disabilities not only face the disheartening news of cancer, they had to face but also the most critical step is communication with their healthcare professionals.

There is a dire need for interpreters for the respected deaf community to help them understand healthcare information and provide support. There is limited vocabulary in British Sign Language about cancer information, and not all interpreters are available at the appointment time. Cancer information should be easily accessible for all.

The National Deaf and Hard of Hearing NHS Staff Network (2025) found that healthcare staff with auditory disabilities feel stress due to the multiple limitations from being unable to lip-read or understand facial cues when colleagues wear masks and visors.

They also do not understand background noises and partake in video calls. Other staff members rely on captions, transcripts, appropriate lighting, distance, and network quality for video calls. There is also a sense of fear of being treated unfairly when disclosing their disability to their colleagues, leading them to leave events, work, or retire. The location of workstations can cause challenges, for instance, not being able to see colleagues or sitting in a busy hotdesking area. Thus, they feel excluded.

@macmillancancersupport, in collaboration with @selfhelpuk, has developed a supportive initiative virtually for cancer patients with auditory disabilities

Please visit their website to find out more!

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/emotional-help/macmillan-deaf-cancer-support-project

References

NHS Employers (2025) Employing deaf and hard of hearing staff in the NHS. Available at: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/employing-deaf-and-hard-hearing-staff-nhs (Accessed: 16th February 2026)

Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) (2025) Prevalence of deafness and hearing loss. Available at: https://rnid.org.uk/get-involved/research-and-policy/facts-and-figures/prevalence-of-deafness-and-hearing-loss/ (Accessed: 16th February 2026)