NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly named regional champion at first-ever NHS Excellence Awards

A powerful, deaf lived‑experience project has been recognised for improving patient involvement and choice across Cornwall and beyond.

NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB has been named a regional champion in the first-ever NHS Excellence Awards, winning the Patient Involvement and Choice Award for a project centred around ‘Isaac’s story’ – a powerful, lived‑experience of a young deaf man from Cornwall.

The project highlights the real challenges that deaf people face in accessing health and public services, particularly the communication barriers that prevent many from receiving safe, timely and appropriate care.

Isaac’s story prompted meaningful local engagement with deaf people across Cornwall to better understand their experiences and needs, leading to system‑wide improvements.

The project was delivered in partnership with Diabetes UK, Hearing Loss Cornwall, members of the long‑term conditions lived experience group and the Deaf Community Centre, ensuring that deaf people were central to shaping change.

As a result of this work, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB and partners have introduced:

• increased deaf awareness and communication training for staff
• accessible health information in British Sign Language (BSL)
• a national partnership with Diabetes UK to produce BSL diabetes advice films, now used across the UK

Chris Gould is a member of the diabetes lived experience group, whose feedback led to the development of the BSL diabetes films – he is deaf and has type 2 diabetes, and said:

“This is brilliant news. Including sign language means so much to the deaf community and allows a far more inclusive service. Without this, deaf people can easily become a forgotten group.

“By making these videos, it has opened up questions from people who might otherwise have remained silent. I really hope this approach spreads to other areas for many years to come.”

Terence Spivey, chairman of Hearing Loss Cornwall said:

“This is fantastic news. It means more publicity and awareness of British Sign Language in the medical world. Helping NHS staff become more aware of the barriers the deaf community face when dealing with medical issues is a giant step forward, as many deaf patients have had to struggle to get help and support.

“Creating diabetes videos in BSL is the first step, and I look forward to many more projects in the future. I would like to thank everyone involved and am so pleased to see this regional award win.”

Lucy Tuson, director of communications and experience, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly and NHS Devon said:

“I am delighted that the great partnership work between our deaf community, Hearing Loss Cornwall and Diabetes UK has been recognised through winning this award.

“We heard from local people about the challenges they face every day trying to access a range of services, and how health information is not easily available for deaf people. This led to the project to create a series of diabetes advice films in British Sign Language in partnership with Diabetes UK.

“I am very grateful to everyone who was involved in creating the films, and it is fantastic to see them being used nationally. However, there is still so much more we all need to do to improve communications in health and all public services for deaf people, and we remain committed to doing that.”

Heather Taylor, long-term conditions clinical lead for Kernow Health CIC’s Cornwall primary care training hub said:

“I really enjoyed working with everyone involved, and this project clearly highlights the need to better support the deaf community.

“I am now in the process of registering as a Diabetes UK volunteer and hope to be able to support the local lunch club in Camborne in the near future. I am sending lots of luck for the national awards.”

Phaedra Perry, head of the South West region for Diabetes UK said:

“We are delighted that the work Diabetes UK has contributed to, alongside the hearing loss community and our NHS colleagues, has been recognised with a regional NHS Excellence Award.

“The production of the British Sign Language videos demonstrates how lived experience can effect real change, helping to make diabetes information more accessible to deaf patients across the UK.”

Cornwall and Devon celebrate wider success in the awards with regional champions named in 7 of the 10 categories. Winning teams from across England will now progress to the national shortlist, with final winners announced at a ceremony in Manchester in June this year.