Ministers seek out hundreds of thousands of clear face masks to help deaf people struggling to lip-read

The Department of Health is in the process of procuring see-through face masks, after charities and professional bodies warned that coverings make communication “impossible” for deaf people.

Face coverings became mandatory on public transport and inside hospitals in England from June 15, and those not complying could face a fine. Boris Johnson has hinted at making them compulsory in shops too.

But the widespread uptake of masks is leaving many people who rely on lip reading to communicate feeling “isolated” and “lonely”, with some even reluctant to leave the house as a result.

Work is under way by the DHSC to source hundreds of thousands of clear face masks that conform to current regulations, for use across the health and social care sector, The Sunday Telegraph understands.

Ian Noon, head of policy at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said although public health must take priority, face masks are “already making life harder” for the UK’s 12 million deaf people.

“Almost all of them rely on facial expressions and lip reading to understand what others are saying, but this becomes impossible when someone’s face is covered,” he said.

Mr Noon said daily activities, such as attending medical appointments or going to the shops,  have “suddenly become much more difficult and potentially more intimidating for deaf people”.

“Feelings of isolation and loneliness are also a very real threat and some deaf people have already told us they’re less keen to leave the house or use public transport,” he added

Mr Noon said “promising progress” had already been made towards securing clear masks, but a Government-led plan to introduce them was needed “as soon as possible”.

Rebecca Abraham’s 12-year-old son Dylan relies on lip reading after he lost his hearing aged two. The mother and son from Cardiff are immunocompromised, and have only left the house during the pandemic to attend Dylan’s hospital appointments.

When masks became mandatory Dylan said he felt “isolated” and “on his own” during his appointments, as he couldn’t understand what the staff were saying.

“Even with signing he still likes to see your mouth, he always has, he likes to see what you're saying and your facial expressions,” Ms Abraham said.

Elsewhere, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) said its members have faced “barriers” to their work during the pandemic due to a lack of clear masks and clarity on PPE guidelines.

“We want our members to use a clear mask, as by the nature of what we do - which is supporting people with communication needs - it's really important that the (patient) can see our mouths and our faces,” said Kamini Gadhok, chief executive of the RCSLT.

It is not always possible for therapists to conduct their work at a two-metre distance so the use of face masks is vital, she said.

Clear masks could play a role in schools, where PPE is currently not advised for staff under Department of Education guidelines.

But the RCSLT have raised concerns that vulnerable children are missing out on speech therapy during lockdown as they do not have access to a computer. And now, since some schools have reopened, therapists have either not been allowed to return or have been told not to wear masks.

Ms Gadhok said she was unsure if this was due to schools being concerned about causing “distress” to children, or due to the guidelines.

The RCSLT has asked the DHSC if the new clear masks would also be available to SLTs in schools.