Support to understand information

Some people might need support to get the information they need, or to understand it.

For example, you may:

• not understand or speak English very well
• have a physical disability that affects your hearing, sight or speech
• have a learning disability
• have difficulties with reading.

Or you might find that your healthcare team does not understand your culture, and how best to communicate with you.

When talking to your GP or cancer doctor, it can help to have someone with you. They can help you to make sense of the information later.

You should always be able to have someone with you at your hospital appointments. This might be a carer, family member, friend or support worker. If you do not have anyone, your healthcare team should be able to arrange for a social worker or volunteer to be with you.

Other people, such as a translator, can also be present. This will depend on your needs.

If you have a physical disability, learning disability or neurodivergence, you might find it harder to have the conversations you need with your healthcare team.

They should communicate with you in the most effective way to give you the information you need.

The NHS has to make sure that disabled people can use health services as easily as people without disabilities. This is called making reasonable adjustments.

It could include:

• making sure there are no physical barriers for people using wheelchairs or with mobility issues
• longer appointments to give you more time with a cancer doctor or specialist nurse
• offering an appointment at the beginning or end of the day, or a quiet place to wait, if activity and noise makes you more anxious
• providing easy read information or simple pictures to help you to understand treatments and side effects.

You can ask for information about your reasonable adjustments to be recorded in your medical notes or another document.

If you have a learning difficulty like dyslexia, or find printed text difficult to read, Macmillan provides:

• audiobooks
• easy read information – this uses simple words and pictures on about cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and end of life.

If you are deaf or blind, your healthcare team should make reasonable adjustments to help you get the same care as anyone else. This can also include some people who have low vision or are hard of hearing. Your healthcare team should make sure you:

• get information in formats you can read and understand - for example, audio, Braille, easy read or large print
• have a communication professional at your appointments - for example, a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter
• can contact them using email or text message if you find this easier.

If you use BSL, you can email us or chat online to arrange a free call to the Macmillan support line 0808 808 00 00 with a BSL interpreter. Or a hearing family member or friend can call the support line to organise this. Find out more about using the Macmillan Support line with BSL.

We also have a small range of videos about cancer using BSL. You can watch them on YouTube.

Our easy read booklets can also be useful for people who use BSL. You can download a PDF or order a printed booklet.

We also have a new service in partnership with Self Help UK to improve access to cancer information and support for Deaf people.

For people who are blind or have low vision, we produce information:

• in Braille
• in large print
• as audiobooks.

If you have problems with your speech, you may use different types of communication aids or BSL. Let the hospital know what your needs are, so they can support you with the type of communication aid you are most comfortable using.

Organisations that can support you include:

• British Deaf Association
• National Autistic Society
• Royal National Institute of Blind People
• Sense
• SignHealth.

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

• use plain English
• explain medical words
• use short sentences
• use illustrations to explain text
• structure the information clearly
• make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.