Latest updates on the Accessible Information Standard

Healthwatch England recently joined a national group meeting about the Accessible Information Standard. The standard is the set of NHS rules designed to make sure that people with communication needs. This includes things like needing information in large print, Braille, easy read, audio, or getting support from a British Sign Language interpreter. This helps get information they can understand and the support they need to communicate effectively.

These rules apply to all NHS and publicly funded adult social care services in England. They are especially important for people who are d/Deaf, blind, have a learning disability, or live with conditions that affect how they process or understand information.

Here are the latest updates:

1. National webinar about accessible information planned

NHS England will be hosting an online event in October 2025 to promote and explain the latest version of the Accessible Information Standard, which was published in June 2025. The webinar will focus on helping NHS staff put the standard into practice, but there may also be opportunities for local Healthwatch and patient representatives to join. Healthwatch England will share details as soon as they’re confirmed with local Healthwatch to represent people locally.

2. Moving towards a stronger legal requirement

Currently, services only have to “take account” of the Accessible Information Standard, which means implementation can vary widely. NHS England is preparing a case to present to government ministers in 2026 to make the Accessible Information Standard a fully mandatory requirement.

This would mean NHS and adult social care services could no longer treat the standard as optional guidance – they would be legally required to follow it. The case will set out not only the costs of training staff and upgrading IT systems, but also the real-world savings from fewer missed or repeated appointments caused when people’s communication needs are not met.

Example: If a patient who is blind receives an appointment letter in standard print instead of Braille or audio, they may miss the appointment altogether. This wastes NHS time and causes stress for the patient. Making Accessible Information Standard mandatory would help prevent this.

Mandatory training for staff

Alongside this, NHS England is building a case for training on the Accessible Information Standard to become compulsory for all NHS staff, so that everyone – from reception staff to clinicians – knows how to record and meet people’s communication needs.

Example: A receptionist trained in the Accessible Information Standard would know to book a British Sign Language interpreter when a deaf patient makes an appointment, rather than expecting them to turn up without communication support.

Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag

A related system called the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag is also being updated and is expected to be re-issued soon, possibly next month. This system plays a key role in ensuring patients’ needs are recognised wherever they go in the health and care system.

• By September 2026, all NHS and publicly funded adult social care services will be required to use it.
• The flag works by storing details of a person’s communication or access needs (for example, needing a British Sign Language interpreter, extra time in appointments, or information in large print). These details are usually recorded first by a GP, and then shared digitally across the NHS.
• When the person accesses another service – whether it’s a hospital, clinic, or social care team – staff will see an alert on their system with the information they need to make reasonable adjustments straight away.
• Any updates to a person’s needs will automatically be shared across services, so information stays current.

Example: If a person with a learning disability needs their care information in an easy-read format, their GP can record this once. From then on, any hospital or social care service they use will see this alert and provide information in easy read automatically.

What this matters

These changes are a big step forward in making sure people across North Yorkshire – and the rest of England – can access healthcare on an equal footing. Too often, people with communication needs face barriers to booking appointments, understanding their care, or even attending the right service at the right time.

Strengthening the Accessible Information Standard, introducing mandatory training, and sharing needs digitally across services will mean:

• fewer missed appointments,
• less stress for patients, and
• better health outcomes for people who have often been left out of the system.