I had the great privilege to represent RNIB on the advisory group for the NHS Accessible Information Standard for the last 18 months and will be submitting my response to the consultation (as a patient) this week. NHS England’s consultation closes on 9th November so you have less than a week to get involved. So why should you?
Who does the standard affect?
The standard affects everyone working for the NHS who has contact with patients or whose work impacts on patient information. It also affects anyone working in adult social care.
The standard also affects any patient or carer who has an information or communication need because of a disability such as being visual impaired, Deaf or hard of hearing, has a learning disability or a communication need due to having had a stroke.
What exactly is the standard?
The standard is a set of rules which NHS and adult social care providers will need to follow. The standard covers:
How and when to record a patients communication and information needs (such as recording that a patient needs information in large print, via email, in easy read or requires a sign language interpreter.)
What and when communication and information support needs to be provided
What is the consultation about then?
A draft of the standard has now been produced and NHS England need to know what patients, carers, NHS and adult social care workers think of it. The consultation also asks if there is anything missing from the standard and how the standard should be implemented and enforced. So the consultation is broader than just what the standard says.
How do I get involved?
NHS England has produced some really excellent consultation documents to help you understand what is in the standard and to help you answer the questions in the consultation survey. You can find them all here
