Deaf man pulls tumour out of his own throat after doctors 'fobbed him off'

John Barrett, who is deaf, said his concerns were 'fobbed off' by doctors and he struggled to get a face-to-face appointment with a GP until he pulled a tumour out of his own throat

A deaf man has recalled the chilling moment he pulled a tumour from his own throat after being 'fobbed off' by doctors.

Before being diagnosed with cancer, John Barrett faced an uphill battle in getting a face-to-face appointment with an NHS GP after falling ill and was repeatedly offered video calls - despite making it clear these were difficult for him to use. He was also given antibiotics, but these did not improve his condition. But in a new clip, John tells of how situation escalated when he started having "breathing problems" - before pulling out what he would later learn was a tumour.

He shared: "The doctor hadn't actually checked my throat at this point but I knew there was something wrong. I actually pulled out a tumour. I didn't know at the time what it was but the blood was pouring out of my mouth." His ordeal ended with a hospital visit where, after two weeks, he was diagnosed with cancer.

He is now calling for urgent improvements to healthcare communication for BSL users after his story was presented to NHS Forth Valley board members on Tuesday, reports the Daily Record, detailing his struggles with communication in the health system. John described his nightmare with virtual consultations, and explained: "I really need to be in a room, face to face and with an interpreter, so we can have a three-way, clear conversation." He added that video calls were simply ineffective, saying: "With video it just goes over my head - it's not suitable for deaf people."

John, who has been battling cancer, expressed his frustration with the initial medical response, saying: "I feel the doctor fobbed me off a little bit. I feel they could have caught it early, saved me having chemo, radiotherapy, possibly surgery." He added: "I don't blame the doctor - they just need a bit more deaf awareness instead of being a bit dismissive."

Since his diagnosis, John has found invaluable support from the Disability, Equality and Access Service at Forth Valley Sensory Centre in Camelon, Falkirk. John spoke in the video of how vital the services are for him and other deaf people, and said: "I'll tell you the truth. If you didn't have this interpreter service, NHS service, we'd be lost - we'd really struggle."

The chair of NHS Forth Valley board, Neena Mahal, described it as a "very moving story with key messages about deaf awareness". Board members were informed that deaf awareness training is currently underway. The report stated: "John's journey reflects our commitment to improvement, showing how his involvement has already contributed to meaningful changes that enhance accessibility and support for the D/deaf community."