News

Health Talk Tried and Tested

17 September 2007

Health Talk, a communication resource to help health care professionals and patients with communication disability understand one another better, has now been tried and tested in London and Bristol.

Horfield Health Centre, Bristol, one of the GP practices piloting 'Health Talk'.

Three primary care practices in London and Bristol have now completed a three month trial of Connect's Health Talk communication resource pack. Two more practices in London will also pilot the resource, in addition to five people with aphasia testing the pack with their own GPs.

Health Talk was designed in collaboration with people with aphasia and people with learning disabilities. It provides GPs and other primary care professionals with paper-based tools to enable clearer communication between them and patients with communication disabilities.

One GP who has completed the trial explained the resource would be invaluable for one patient due to spend a fortnight receiving respite care. She intended to use the pack to inform staff of her communication needs and build relationships with them.

Preliminary feedback has also indicated patients who speak limited English may benefit from the resource. A GP told us: 'I was having to work through the family as translators and very often emotional problems don't come out terribly well there. So I was able to talk directly to the patient and I felt much happier.'

When the trial is complete, Health Talk will be modified in the light of practitioner and patient feedback, before national rollout begins. Health Talk is funded by the Department of Health Section 64 scheme, which provides grants to help voluntary organisations whose work supports the Government's health and social care goals.

Find out more about Health Talk

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