Know the 5 Rights

Do you know your 5 Rights?

Are you D/deaf, blind, visually impaired, do you have a speech or language difficulty, or any other communication needs?

If so, did you know that the NHS is required to follow these 5 steps to help support you:

Ask if you have any communication needs
Record those needs on your health records
Ensure that those needs are easy to see on your records
Share those needs with other services if you are being referred
Make sure those needs are met as part of ALL your care.

You get to say what your needs are. Examples could be requesting things like the NHS booking an interpreter for your appointment, translating a letter, or emailing information to you.

What if this doesn’t happen?

You have the right to complain. You can do this at any time by contacting NHS Cheshire and
Merseyside’s Patient Experience Team on:

● Telephone: 0800 132 996
● Email: enquiries@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk
● Post: Patient Experience Team, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, No 1 Lakeside, 920 Centre Park Square, Warrington, WA1 1QY

Getting further help

Did you know that if you have a communication need or difficulty, you can contact the emergency
services using either the Emergency SMS or Relay UK service from anywhere in the UK?

What do I need to do?

● To use Emergency SMS - text the word 'register' to 999 to set up the service on any mobile
phone or device, or go to: https://www.relayuk.bt.com/how-to-use-relay-uk/contact-999-using-relay-uk.html

● To use Relay UK - dial ‘18000’ through the Next Generation Text (NGT) app, or from any
textphone now to get set up, or go to: https://www.relayuk.bt.com/

Don't leave it until you need it, that's too late. Do it now, just in case.