NHS England has today published an updated version of the Accessible Information Standard, a document that sets out guidance on what must be done to make NHS and social care services accessible to people with a disability or sensory loss, including deaf people and people with hearing loss.
What is the Accessible Information Standard (AIS)?
The Standard was introduced in 2016 and is for providers of NHS and adult social care across England. It gives clear guidance on how NHS bodies and publicly-funded social care services should meet the information and communication support needs of people with disabilities and sensory loss, including people who are deaf or have hearing loss, when using NHS services such as GP surgeries or hospitals.
This means:
- You should get information in a format that works for you (for example, in writing, email, or in BSL).
- You should get support to help you communicate (like a BSL interpreter, speech-to-text, or lip speaker).
- Staff should ask you how you want to receive information and record your communication needs.
- Service providers must make sure you get the right support every time you use a service.
Find out more about the accessible information Standard on our website.
What has been updated?
There are a range of changes to the revised version, here are two main changes that affect you:
- There is a new requirement for NHS service providers, such as GP surgeries and hospitals, to regularly review people’s information and communication support needs. This aims to ensure that any individual’s changing needs over time are captured and acted upon. This builds on the existing requirements in the AIS for service providers to identify, record, flag, share and meet people’s communication needs.
- A self-assessment framework has been introduced to help NHS service providers ensure they are meeting the AIS requirements, and that people’s communication and information needs are being met. They are required to annually publish their own performance (on their websites, in accessible formats) against the measures in the AIS self-assessment framework, as well as detailing the actions they have put in place to improve.
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Why was the AIS reviewed?
A 2022 report by Healthwatch, based on 6,000 people’s experiences, showed what kinds of needs were being unmet for patients with a disability or sensory loss. This included a lack of support, inconsistency across services, and unfair and inappropriate burdens made on their families and friends.
Only 35% of NHS trusts that responded to Healthwatch’s Freedom of Information requests said they were fully compliant with the AIS. Just 21% were able to evidence that they had formally audited for compliance since its introduction.
Our 2025 report with SignHealth revealed 7 out of 10 deaf people, and people with hearing loss, had never been asked how they prefer to get information, or if they had any communication needs when accessing NHS services.
Even when people requested communication support, it was often not provided. Over half of respondents had to use someone they know to interpret at appointments, which takes away their privacy and dignity.
How you can get involved
You can also help take action for better access to healthcare in the following ways:
- Share your story with us – tell us about your experiences of healthcare, both good and bad, to support our campaigns.
- Make your needs clear – download and fill in our Health and Care Communication Card to make sure your communication needs are understood every time you use NHS services.
- Join our fight for accessible healthcare campaign – too many people are still being ignored when it comes to their communication needs not being met. Help us raise this issue with the responsible minister, Stephen Kinnock.
- Sign up to our Campaigns Network to get updates and find out how you can get involved in making change happen.
- Stay informed and know your rights on the Accessible Information Standard.