Making healthcare information easier for everyone
This effort is guided by the Accessible Information Standard, a law that requires all NHS and adult social care organisations to provide information in formats that meet the needs of their patients.
This work is guided by the Accessible Information Standard, a law that requires all NHS and adult social care organisations to provide information in formats that meet people’s communication needs.
Despite this legal duty, many people still struggle to get information in a way they can understand. In June 2022, our accessible information report shared the views and experiences of people facing these challenges.
Here are some of the key findings:
- Lack of awareness: Two thirds of people said they had never been asked if they needed information in a different format.
- Dependence on others: 59 percent said they had to rely on someone else to read information to them when it wasn’t provided in an accessible format.
- Emotional impact: People felt frustrated, angry, and invisible when their needs were not met, which sometimes led to missed appointments and a loss of independence.
- Inconsistent practices: Some organisations offer accessible formats, but this varies widely across services.
- Preferred formats not recorded or used: Many people are not asked about their preferred format, or when they are, the information is not recorded or acted on.
"The system doesn’t anticipate that not everyone can use the phone."
Local experiences
You can read more about people’s experiences with accessible information here:
Your feedback has made an impact
Thanks to you speaking up, change is happening. Since our report and recommendations were shared with healthcare providers, several improvements have been made.
Continued improvements to accessible information
People have told us they want to see improvements continue, including:
- Ask and act: Always ask people about their preferred format and ensure this is recorded and used.
- Organisational priority: Make accessible information a priority across services, with staff who champion this work.
- Involve people: Listen to people with accessibility needs and work with them to find practical solutions.
- Provide choices: Offer information in a range of formats, because digital methods do not work for everyone.
- Share good practices: Share progress and challenges between colleagues and organisations to support continued improvement.
By listening to people and acting on their feedback, healthcare providers can ensure that information is accessible to everyone. This helps people get the support they need to manage their health with confidence.
"Thank you to Healthwatch and to the people speaking up. We want to make sure information is clear, useful and easy for everyone to understand, so it is good to know this is making a difference."
