Deaf paramedic urges BSL users to download new 999 BSL video calling app

London Ambulance Service (LAS) on 27 October 2022 publicised the 999 BSL app, which lets British Sign Language (BSL) users make 999 calls by video, and a deaf paramedic at the trust urged BSL users to download it¹. The service connects people with hearing or speech loss to a video call with a BSL interpreter, who then relays the conversation to the 999 call handler for ambulance, police, fire or coastguard¹.

The trust said the service is free to use¹. At LAS, call handlers now ask exactly the same questions they would in a voice call; previously, people with hearing or speech loss relied on a text message service, and call handlers were advised to ask fewer questions to avoid delays in organising help¹. The new service also allows LAS call handlers to give deaf callers instructions on how to give CPR to someone in cardiac arrest¹. Early analysis of 999 BSL calls shows they are just as quick as a voice call and take about half the time of the text system, the trust said¹. The existing text relay service will be retained for people who do not use sign language¹.

Paramedic Richard Webb-Stevens, who has been awarded the Queen's Ambulance Medal for Distinguished Service, has made a video explaining how BSL users can call 999¹. He said:

Sarah Clark, quality assurance manager at LAS, said the innovation means no deaf person is excluded and that deaf people now get the same advice and instructions for helping patients¹. Further information is available at www.999bsl.co.uk, the trust said¹.

Why it matters for households

For households with a deaf or speech-impaired member, the app changes how a 999 call is made: through a BSL interpreter on video rather than typed text, with the same questions from call handlers as in a voice call and, for cardiac arrest, CPR instructions relayed to the caller¹. The trust says the service is free and covers all four emergency services¹. Households that do not use sign language keep the existing text relay service¹. The trust has not reported which phone platforms the app runs on, minimum device requirements, or how a call is made when mobile data or wifi is unavailable; those details have not been reported¹. The 999 BSL and Relay UK guide sets out how both routes work, and what to do if you dial 999 but cannot speak covers calls where speaking is not possible. Households preparing for emergencies may also find the emergency apps guide and the page on deaf and hard of hearing households in an emergency relevant.

What happens next

No further dates have been announced. The trust directs readers to www.999bsl.co.uk for further information and to Richard Webb-Stevens's video for guidance on downloading and using the app¹.