Is the New Accessible Information Standard making a difference yet?”
Have you ever received a hospital letter you could not read, or had to chase someone to explain medical information in plain English or British Sign Language? You are not alone. Many people across North Yorkshire have told us how not getting information in the right format affects their health, independence, and confidence.
“I just want to get my health information in a way I can understand. It shouldn’t be this hard.”
New rules, training, and digital systems are being introduced over the next few years to improve communication for people with sensory loss, learning disabilities, or other access needs.
What has happened so far?
Earlier this year, NHS England updated the Accessible Information Standard. Services are expected to start putting these changes in place, although some of the legal requirements will come later.
In summer 2025, NHS England ran a national webinar with more than one thousand attendees from NHS and adult social care services. They outlined what is required and what support will be available. This includes making sure staff know how to check a person’s communication needs and record them properly - for example, ensuring a Deaf patient has a British Sign Language interpreter booked before their appointment, rather than hoping one is available on the day.
North Yorkshire's contribution and focus
Locally, Healthwatch North Yorkshire has been working to make sure health and care information is easier to access and understand. In our report, Making healthcare information easier for everyone we found that many people in North Yorkshire were not being asked about their preferred format for information, had to rely on others to read things for them, and felt invisible when their communication needs were not met.
We also published a blog in November 2025 titled Understanding health literacy and why it matters, which highlights how being able to find, understand and use information is vital for good outcomes, and how this can be an invisible barrier for many people in rural areas like ours.
People in North Yorkshire have also told us how important it is to be heard and how speaking up can lead to real change. One person shared:
“I spoke up about not getting information in easy read, and things changed. More people should do the same.”
What's happening nationally
In November 2025, Healthwatch England attended a meeting of the NHS England Accessible Information Standard Collaborative Board, where several useful updates were shared.
Firstly, a national webinar about the refreshed standard was expected to take place in October 2025. This has been delayed while NHS England secures a minister to open the event. It is still planned and will happen by the end of the financial year, on or before 31 March 2026.
Secondly, NHS England is preparing to launch a call for evidence to support the case for making the Accessible Information Standard a mandatory information standard. At present, the standard is only enforceable if a person does not receive information in an accessible format, rather than organisations being legally required to follow every part of it. We will share an update when the call for evidence opens.
Finally, NHS England is deciding whether to introduce mandatory training on the Accessible Information Standard for NHS staff. We are exploring how we can support the case for making this a requirement.
Stronger rules are on the way
At the moment, services are expected to follow the refreshed standard, but full legal enforcement will come once new regulations are introduced. That means some people may still not receive the adjustments they need until those rules are in place.
For example, even if a GP practice knows a patient needs information in large print, they are not yet required by law to provide it.
We are urging NHS England and local commissioners to treat this as a priority and to continue improving support in the meantime.
Training and awareness
NHS England has been developing training materials to help staff understand how to record and meet people’s communication needs. This includes practical, everyday situations where small changes can make a big difference.
For example, a receptionist should be able to recognise when someone needs easy read information or plain English, rather than handing over a standard leaflet or letter that the person cannot use.
Staff should also know to book a British Sign Language interpreter when a d/Deaf patient makes an appointment, rather than expecting them to turn up without communication support or scrambling to find someone at the last minute.
Another important example is recognising when someone cannot use the phone. Some people with hearing loss, speech difficulties or anxiety have told us they are still asked to “call back later”, even when they have clearly stated they need email or text instead. Training will help staff understand how to record this correctly so that the person does not face the same barrier again.
Healthwatch England also know that some local Healthwatch have asked for a template complaint letter for when a person’s accessibility needs are not met. This will help people challenge situations where the standard has not been followed. We are waiting for clarity from NHS England about whether Accessible Information Standard training will become mandatory for frontline staff, and Healthwatch England would like to reference this in that letter, along with the six steps that staff are expected to follow.
Together, these small but important actions help make sure people receive information in a way that works for them and feel confident using health and care services.
Digital flag system
A key part of improving accessibility is the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag, which records a person’s communication or access needs and shares that information across NHS services. The system is being updated and is expected to be reissued soon.
By September 2026, all NHS and publicly funded adult social care services will be required to use the digital flag.
For example, if a person with a learning disability needs easy read information, the digital flag should alert staff at hospitals, clinics or social care teams so they can provide information in the right format without the person having to repeat themselves.
As one person told us:
“It would be such a relief if I did not have to explain my needs every time I go somewhere new.”
What this matters
These changes are not just about policy. They affect people's daily lives.
"They keep sending me letters I can’t read. I’ve missed appointments because of it."
For example:
- Someone who is blind may receive a printed hospital letter instead of email or audio, meaning they cannot read the details.
- A Deaf person may be told important results over the phone, making the information inaccessible.
- A person with a learning disability may be expected to give consent based on dense or technical language they cannot understand.
Strengthening the standard, improving training, and sharing people’s needs across services means safer care, fewer missed appointments, and better experiences for people who rely on accessible information.
"I spoke up about not getting information in easy read, and things changed. More people should do the same."
People in North Yorkshire have played an important role in highlighting the need for change. Local people have shared their stories with us, and we have passed these directly to Healthwatch England and those in charge of care to support both national improvement and ones closerto home.
We will continue to monitor how the updated standard is being put into practice and keep pushing for changes that make health and care information easier for everyone to understand and use.
