St Luke’s Hospice said it wants everyone to “hear and be heard” at its sites to coincide with this month’s Deaf Awareness Week.

The Sheffield charity, which cares for terminally ill people, introduced hearing loops in the public-facing areas of its Little Common Lane and Ecclesall Road sites.

The system improves the sound quality picked up by people with hearing aids, who might have struggled before.

John Highfield, media manager of St Luke’s said: “We are a charity that prides itself on the service we give to all people.

“There is much more focus on hearing issues, we are aware of that, and we are responding to that.

“We want people to feel they can come to us confident they can hear and be heard.”

Hearing loops are also being rolled out at St Luke’s charity shops across the city.

A member of staff at the hospice’s Broomhill Vintage Shop said: “We’ve had ours delivered, all we need to do is turn it one when it’s needed.

“It’s a great idea, absolutely, we’re all about inclusivity.”

Since the hearing loops were installed, Mr Highfield said that patients and visitors had shown their appreciation for them.

He said: “Certainly at our Little Common Lane site it’s gone down very well. It’s been very well received.

“And why wouldn’t it be?”

Mr Highfield also said that hearing loops are “just the latest in a long line” of disability supports at St Luke’s.

With the hospice caring for people with neurological conditions such as motor neurone disease, there is wheelchair access and support intended to keep people mobile.

Although Mr Highfield said the hospice wants to help its disabled patients throughout the year, he said: “These awareness weeks give any organisation a chance to say ‘oh, well we are doing this’.

“But Deaf Awareness Week has just given us an excuse to highlight what we are already doing.”

More information about St Luke’s can be found on its website.