The Accessible Information Standard is mandatory for all organisations that provide National Health Service (NHS) or adult social care. Here’s some key information about the accessible communications you should expect from services.
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.
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If you need this report in a different format, please email enquiries@healthwatch.co.uk or call 030000 68 3000.