The Accessible Information Standard - What you can expect from services

The standard aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss get information that they can access and understand and that they get any communication support they need from health and care services. 

Organisations are required to provide alternative formats where required, such as braille, large print, and easy read. They must also support people to communicate, for example by arranging a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate.

What can you do if your communication needs are not met? 

We know that not all services are fully compliant with the Accessible Information Standard. 

If you do not receive information about our health and care in a format that suits you, you can: 

1. Remind service staff that they have a legal duty to provide accessible information under the Accessible Information Standard. 
2. Make an informal complaint to the nearest Patient Advice and Liaison Service which can help you to resolve issues informally.
3. Make a formal complaint. If you’re thinking about making a complaint, you are entitled to support from the independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service. 
4. Share your experience with your local Healthwatch, who will feed back to local services and decision-makers, as well as feed into Healthwatch England’s national advocacy work. 
5. Get involved with your local Patient Participation Group or patient reference group – groups of patient volunteers which work to represent the voices of patients and improve services.