NHS England - Accessible Information Standard: Making health and social care information accessible (2016)

Summary

The Accessible Information Standard is a set of principles for the presenting, sharing and discussing information with patients. It aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need from health and care services.

Content

As part of the Accessible Information Standard, organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care must:

1. ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs.
2. record those needs clearly and in a set way.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.

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.