NHS and care workers will be given clear face masks to help them communicate with people with certain conditions like hearing loss, autism and dementia, the government has announced.
The masks are see-through and have an anti-fogging barrier to ensure the face and mouth are always visible to help doctors, nurses and carers communicate better with their patients.
The masks will help those who need to lip read or rely on facial expressions to support communication.
DR UK’s Head of Policy Fazilet Hadi said: “This is a simple, necessary measure that will go a long way to providing assuring for the 12 million people with hearing loss in the UK.”