British Sign Language 5-year plan: Department of Health and Social Care – 1-year update, July 2026 (English and BSL versions)
Updated 15 July 2026
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
© Crown copyright 2026
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYn7tzGrwJk
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is committed to making our communications as inclusive as possible, including creating accessible communications for British Sign Language (BSL) users.
Progress and impact in the last 12 months
The 10 Year Health Plan, launched in July 2025, was shaped and informed by the biggest conversation about the NHS in its history. This involved thousands of staff and members of the public, including BSL users, with DHSC engaging the BSL community and offering BSL interpreters to anyone requesting them at events with health and care staff and the public. This emphasis on ensuring access for BSL users follows strengthened advice to DHSC policy teams on BSL. We also added a BSL translation to a video announcing the 10 Year Health Plan detailing the government’s health mission to build a health service fit for the future.
This was one of 46 BSL videos produced by DHSC during the first year of our BSL Action Plan. Others included the Men’s Health Strategy for England: Call for Evidence and the Down Syndrome Act 2022 Draft Statutory Guidance: Consultation and Call for Evidence. The videos have been promoted across our social media channels on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.
As part of the government’s plans to reform the health system in England, DHSC and NHS England will be integrated to form a new joint centre that will be citizen-focused, putting people and communities first.
The NHS modernisation bill announced in the King’s Speech and brought forward in May 2026 will formally transfer NHS England’s functions into DHSC. As we continue to work towards establishing the newly-integrated organisation we will refresh and develop our BSL plan to reflect the functions and responsibilities of the new integrated organisation.
We have delivered internal communications raising issues of deaf awareness and the importance of BSL, sharing examples of good practice. This has included incorporating BSL interpretation into our joint DHSC/NHS England all-staff briefings as we continue the process of transforming into a new integrated organisation.
Priorities for the next 12 months
The 10 Year Health Plan sets out our vision for transformational change, creating a new model of care, fit for the future, that tackles inequalities and delivers better access and outcomes. A key priority over the next 12 months will be driving digital transformation, where a digital NHS will be a force for inclusion, by giving voice, control and choice to those otherwise denied it. Inclusion will be designed into the NHS App by default to ensure equal access, including BSL. Our commitment is that people who have not previously been able to access and use healthcare on their own terms will, through digital technology, be able to.
As part of the 10 Year Health Plan, the government introduced the NHS modernisation bill in May 2026 which will formally transfer NHS England’s functions into DHSC by March 2027, subject to the will of Parliament.
As we continue to work towards establishing the newly-integrated organisation we will refresh and develop our BSL plan to reflect the functions and responsibilities of the new integrated organisation.