Disabled people in Wales have experienced barriers when it comes to receiving essential healthcare, according to more than 30 adults who spoke with BBC Wales Live. Swansea-based Kat Watkins, who uses a wheelchair as a result of her brittle bone condition, said she had been told by a consultant that she was “a very odd shape” during a smear test. The same doctor had recommended that Ms Watkins not be offered smear tests in the future as she was not sexually active. She believes the consultant had assumed that disabled people don’t have sex and had attended her medical needs in what she felt was an inappropriate manner.
Another woman, Michelle Penny, suffers from Myalgic encephalomyelitis and is almost entirely homebound as a result. She has never had a smear test due to lack of access and feels that the healthcare services have left her behind. She has not seen a general practitioner in six years and cannot cope with routine asthma appointments over the phone. Her aim is to increase access to HPV self-sampling tests to provide better access to medical care for disabled women.
Disability equality officer, Alex Harrison, at Disability Wales said that many disabled people become disengaged with healthcare as a result of the barriers faced, leading to many experiencing worsening conditions. Wales has the highest concentration of disabled people in the UK at 26%, and Harrison believes communication is a common barrier to accessing healthcare. She has called for the delivery of disability equality training programs designed by disabled individuals, along with greater opportunities for feedback to bring about change in the public health sector.
The Welsh government responded by stating that it was “very disappointed” to hear these stories, and said that it expects disabled people to be treated respectfully and listened to when accessing NHS services, adding that its Disability Rights Taskforce is working with disabled individuals and organizations to improve their quality of life within the country. Swansea Bay health board, which delivered Ms. Watkins’ services, has not commented on individual cases but has said that it is open to discussion about how Ms Watkins’ concerns might be addressed.
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