How to access North West Ambulance Service for our deaf and hard of hearing communities

Using the 999 Emergency SMS Service

The Emergency SMS service lets deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people in the UK send a SMS text message to the UK 999 service where it will be passed to the police, ambulance, fire rescue, or coastguard. You need to register before you can use it. All information on how to register for the service can be found on the Emergency Service SMS Website.

The Paramedic Emergency Service crews also carry Pictorial Communication handbooks – more information can be found on the NWAS Website.

Using NHS 111

To use NHS 111, you can use InterpreterNow to connect you to an online BSL interpreter who will phone NHS 111 for you. The NHS 111 adviser will ask you questions to assess your symptoms and then decide what to do next, depending on the severity of your health problem. This could be: giving you self-care advice, or direct you to the local service that helps you best, or if your health problem is urgent, they will send an ambulance for you.

To access InterpreterNow, you can either visit the website InterpreterNow or through the InterpreterNow app (suitable for either Android or iOS). To use the App you can register here. The service recommends that you register before you may need to use it.

Patient Transport Service

Patient Transport Service crews carry Pictorial Communication Handbooks. More information can be found on the NWAS Website. 

If you would like any more information, then please contact the NWAS Patient Engagement Team at Talk.tous@nwas.nhs.uk.