Making Breast Cancer Screening More Accessible: Our Work with Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB and UHNM
At Inspired Film and Video, we believe healthcare communications should be accessible to everyone.
We recently worked with Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) and University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM). We produced a patient information film designed to help deaf and hard-of-hearing women understand the breast cancer screening process.
The aim was simple: to create a clear, reassuring and accessible film that would help women understand what to expect when attending a breast screening appointment. Additionally, we wanted to address some of the barriers that deaf and hard-of-hearing people can experience when accessing healthcare services.
Understanding the patient experience
An important part of the project was making sure the film wasn’t simply designed for the deaf community. Instead, it was developed with a better understanding of their experiences.
As part of the production process, we reached out to members of the local deaf community to better understand the challenges they can face. These challenges often occur when visiting hospitals and clinics for cancer screening.
This insight helped us consider the whole patient journey: from arriving at the clinic to understanding what would happen. It also covered communicating with healthcare professionals and understanding the results.
By listening to people’s experiences, we were able to shape the content around the questions and concerns that matter to patients. As a result, we did not simply produce a conventional healthcare information film.
Explaining the breast screening process
The finished film takes viewers through the breast screening journey step by step.
It explains what to expect when arriving at a screening clinic. Furthermore, it covers what happens during the appointment with a mammographer and what the results of the screening mean.
For someone who may be unfamiliar with the process, knowing what will happen before arriving at an appointment can make a significant difference. Therefore, the film was designed to be informative and reassuring. It helps patients feel more prepared and confident about attending their screening appointment.
Designing for accessibility
Accessibility was at the heart of the production.
To make the information available to as wide an audience as possible, we incorporated a range of accessibility features, including:
- Subtitles to support deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
- Easy Read icons to reinforce important information visually and make the content easier to understand.
- A British Sign Language interpreter to provide the information in sign language.
- We worked with deaf led charity Action Deafness who added the interpreter to the finished films.
- Clear, straightforward language and visual storytelling to support understanding.
Rather than treating accessibility as something added at the end of the production process, we considered it from the outset.
This is particularly important when producing healthcare communications, where misunderstanding information can have serious consequences. In addition, people may already feel anxious about attending an appointment.
Inclusive healthcare video production
Projects like this demonstrate how video can play an important role in making healthcare information more accessible.
A well-produced patient information film can help explain complex processes in a clear and engaging way. Nevertheless, accessibility needs to be considered alongside the creative approach from the very beginning.
For us, that means understanding the intended audience, listening to their experiences and considering how different people will access and interpret the information.
It also means working closely with healthcare professionals. This ensures that the information is accurate, appropriate and aligned with the patient journey.
A collaborative approach
Working with Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB and UHNM enabled us to combine our experience in film production with the clinical knowledge and patient insight of healthcare professionals. We also worked with the local deaf community.
The result was a film designed not simply to communicate information, but to help remove some of the barriers that can prevent people from feeling confident when accessing important screening services.
As Gina Newman, Health Improvement Practitioner at UHNM, commented:
“Dan and the Inspired Film and Video team delivered two excellent patient information videos that have helped make breast screening more accessible for our Learning Disability and Deaf communities. Their expertise, professionalism, and focus on inclusion resulted in engaging videos that clearly explain the screening process and the support available to patients.”
Gina Newman
Health Improvement Practitioner
UHNM
Supporting accessible healthcare communications
At Inspired Film and Video, we have extensive experience producing films and digital content for NHS organisations, healthcare providers and public-sector organisations.
From patient information and screening campaigns to staff training and service communications, we understand the importance of combining clear communication, engaging storytelling and accessibility.
Our work with Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB and UHNM is a great example of how an inclusive approach to video production can help healthcare organisations communicate more effectively. This is especially true in reaching the communities they serve.
If you’re looking for an experienced healthcare video production company to create accessible patient information films, we’d be happy to discuss your requirements.
FAQs
It is a patient information film made for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB and UHNM. It helps deaf and hard-of-hearing women understand what to expect at a breast screening appointment, from arriving at the clinic to understanding the results.
It is a patient information film made for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB and UHNM. It helps deaf and hard-of-hearing women understand what to expect at a breast screening appointment, from arriving at the clinic to understanding the results.
The film includes a British Sign Language interpreter, subtitles, Easy Read icons that reinforce key information visually, and clear, straightforward language with visual storytelling. Accessibility was built in from the start of the production, not added at the end.
It takes viewers through the screening journey step by step: what to expect when arriving at the clinic, what happens during the appointment with a mammographer, and what the screening results mean.
In healthcare communications, misunderstanding information can have serious consequences, and many people already feel anxious about appointments. Planning accessibility from the outset means the content, language and visuals all work for the intended audience, rather than relying on features added afterwards.
Yes. Inspired Film and Video is a Stoke-on-Trent video production agency, established in 2006, that produces films for NHS organisations, healthcare providers and public-sector bodies across the UK, with a focus on the Midlands, North West and North Wales. Call 01782 845533 or email hello@inspiredfilmandvideo.co.uk.
Key Takeaways
- Inspired Film and Video created an accessible patient information film for deaf and hard-of-hearing women about the breast cancer screening process.
- The film addresses common barriers and provides reassurance by outlining what to expect at appointments step by step.
- Accessibility features include British Sign Language interpretation, subtitles, Easy Read icons, and clear language, all integrated from the start.
- Collaborating with healthcare professionals and the local deaf community ensured the film met the needs of the intended audience.
- This approach highlights the importance of inclusive video production in effectively communicating healthcare information.