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Making Health and Social Care

Information Accessible
Summary of how we are moving forward with
the project and next steps - January/February
2015

Making health and social care information accessible

Summary of how we are moving forward with the project and
next steps January/February 2015

Introduction

National Health Service (NHS)

Englands main aim is to improve
peoples health.

We want everybody to understand

information they get about their
health and care.

We also want everybody to make

their own choices about their
healthcare.

We know that some people will

need information given to them in a
dierent way or will need help
giving their views.

We are writing a new guidebook for

health and social care organisations.
The guidebook is called the
accessible information standard.

Summary
The standard will tell organisations
how they should make sure that
people get information in dierent
formats if they need it, for example
in easy read.

The standard will also tell

organisations how they should
make sure that people get any
communication support that they
need. For example from a British
Sign Language interpreter or an
advocate.

We think that the standard will help

people who are d/Deaf, blind,
deafblind, have some hearing or
visual loss, and / or a learning
disability.

We think that the standard will also

help people with aphasia, autism,
and / or a mental health condition.

The Standardisation Committee for

Care Information (SCCI) has the job
of approving standards.

Once the standard is approved, NHS

and adult social care organisations
and providers will have to do what it
says. This includes hospitals, doctors,
and people that provide social
services.

What Weve Done So Far

During winter 2013 / 2014 we asked

people for their thoughts about
accessible information and
communication.

There is an easy read report about

this engagement on our website
www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo

We used peoples views and

experiences to write the rst draft of
the standard.

The draft standard was approved by

the Standardisation Committee for
Care Information in August 2014.

What Weve Done So Far

From August to November 2014

there was a consultation on the
draft standard.

People told us what they thought

about the standard. They told us
what they thought was good about
it and what should change.

There will be a consultation report

published in February or March
2015.

During January March 2015 we are

working with some organisations to
test out the draft standard. This is to
make sure that it will work in the
way we want it to and to see if
anything needs to change.

Next Steps

We will use what people told us as

part of the consultation and what
organisations who tested the draft
standard tell us to write the nal
accessible information standard.

We plan to send the nal standard

to the Standardisation Committee
for Care Information (SCCI) for them
to look at in May or June 2015.

When the standard is approved,

health and care services will have to
use it.

We will give organisations advice

about how to follow the standard.

Organisations can start to follow the

standard straightaway after it is
approved.

But, we know that some changes

will take time. So we plan to give
organisations 12 months to make
sure they are following the standard.

Information
There is more information about the
standard on the NHS England
website
www.england.nhs.uk/accessibleinfo

Or you can ask for information by

sending an email to
england.nhs.participation@nhs.net

or calling NHS England on

0113 8251324.

This easy read document was produced by:

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