Accessible Policy

The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) was published in July 2015, and it provides a framework for healthcare providers to identify, record, flag, share, and meet the information and communication needs of patients, service users, and their carers. The AIS applies to all organizations providing health and social care services in England, including NHS trusts, foundation trusts, and general practices.

The main requirements of the Accessible Information Standard are:

• Identify: Ask people if they have any information or communication needs and find out how to meet those needs.
• Record: Record the person’s needs in a clear, consistent, and standardized way.
• Flag: Highlight the person’s file or patient record to make their needs easily visible to healthcare staff.
• Share: Include information about the individual’s needs when referring or transferring them to other healthcare providers, with their consent.
• Meet: Provide information in an accessible format and offer communication support as needed, ensuring that the person can understand the information provided and participate in decisions about their healthcare.

By following the AIS, healthcare providers can make sure that people with disabilities, sensory loss, or communication needs can access healthcare services effectively and receive the same quality of care as others.

• We will find out about how to meet people’s needs and ask about any information or communication needs a person may have.
• Record these needs clearly and in a set way.
• Highlight individual’s files, ensuring that it is clear to individuals if they have any information or communication needs. This will also contain information on how to meet those needs.
• Where someone has given permission or consent to do so, an individual’s information and communication needs should be shared with other providers of NHS and adult social care.
• Ensuring people receive information that they can understand and access and to offer individuals communication support should they need it.
• We are a Makaton Friendly provider from 2018.
• All technology we use with clients is made accessible, such as our website, which is developed to WCAG standards.
• We utilize communication aids and symbols, such as Mulberry symbols or Widgit symbols, dyslexia font-faces, and large fonts where appropriate to improve the readability of documents.

More information about the accessible information standard can be found at www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo.

For any additional information, email NHS England at england.nhs.participation@nhs.net or call 01138 253002. You can write to Accessible Information Standard, NHS England, 7E56, Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE.