Lack of interpreter left deaf man fearing he ‘had HIV and could die’
Deaf man wrongfully told he had HIV after hospital fails to provide interpreter
- A deaf man, Richard MacQueen from Dundee, was mistakenly led to believe he had HIV for two days due to the absence of a qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter at a hospital.
- While receiving test results for pneumonia, a nurse with limited BSL skills communicated “HIV” with a thumbs-up, which Mr MacQueen misinterpreted as a positive diagnosis.
- He experienced significant distress, believing his “life was over,” until a qualified interpreter arrived to clarify that his test results were, in fact, negative.
- Mr MacQueen shared his experience to underscore the critical need for accurate communication for deaf individuals in medical environments.
- His story precedes the launch of SignPort, a new app developed in Scotland to enable deaf people to quickly book BSL interpreters, aiming to transform access and inclusivity.