Accessible Information Standard

Introduction

The Accessible Information Standard aims to ensure that people who have a disability, impairment, or sensory loss have access to information they can understand, and any communication support that they need.

The Standard applies to service providers across the NHS and adult social care system. As organisations that provide NHS services, GP practices are required by law to follow the Standard under Section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act.

About the Standard

As part of the Accessible Information Standard, organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care must do five things. They must:

• Ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs.
• Record those needs clearly and in a set way.
• Highlight or flag the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how to meet those needs.
• Share information about people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so.
• Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it

What else does the Accessible Information Standard say?

The Standard says that patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss should:

• Be able to contact, and be contacted by, services in accessible ways, for example via email or text message.
• Receive information and correspondence in formats they can read and understand, for example in audio, braille, easy read or large print.
• Be supported by a communication professional at appointments if this is needed to support conversation, for example a British Sign Language interpreter.
• Get support from health and care staff and organisations to communicate, for example to lip-read or use a hearing aid.

View information about the Accessible Information Standard in a different format:

• In an easy-read format here.
• Listen to an audio version of the ‘Accessible Information Standard Overview’ here.
• Watch the video below which includes subtitles and BSL interpretation.