What is the Accessible Information Standard?
Since 31 July 2016, all organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must follow the Accessible Information Standard by law. This includes organisations such as Hospitals, GP practices, Pharmacies and those providing adult social care such as care homes and support services
The Accessible Information Standard aims to make sure that disabled people have access to information that they can understand and any communication support they might need.
The Standard tells organisations how to make information accessible to patients, service users and their carers or parents. This includes making sure that people get information in different formats if they need it, such as large print, Braille, easy read or via email.
The standard also tells organisations how to support people’s communication needs e.g. by offering support from a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate.
Organisations that provide NHS or adult social care must do five things. They must:
- Ask people about their communication needs
- Record those needs in a set way
- Highlight the person’s needs on their file and how these needs are to be met
- Share information about a person’s needs with other providers, subject to consent
- Provide information in an accessible way
How to find out more
- This subtitled BSL video explains more about the Standard.
- Further information about the Accessible Information standard can be found on the NHS England website
- See the easy read guide below.
Useful Links
- If you are a provider of services and would like to find out more about the Accessible information standard please see: http://www.bathandnortheastsomersetccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/project/accessible-information-standard
- The NHS 111 BSL Service is open from 08.00 to midnight every day. http://www.interpreternow.co.uk/nhs111/
- Virgin Care Services Limited will provide the majority of the services previously provided by Sirona Care & Health from 1 April 2017. The services will still provide the same support, be funded in the same way and in most cases you will continue to see the same colleagues as you have seen before. If you have questions, please speak to the team from the service you work with – or you can contact Virgin Care’s Customer Services Team on 0300 303 9509, or by email: customerservices@virgincare.co.uk. See http://bathneshealthandcare.nhs.uk/