The Accessible Information Standard: what we are hearing

This insight article sets out what the Accessible Information Standard is and why it matters for people using health and social care services. 

In 2024, Healthwatch Hampshire, Healthwatch Isle of Wight, Healthwatch Portsmouth and Healthwatch Southampton collaborated on a report about the Accessible Information Standard titled Do people get the information they need in the way they need it? The report provided a comprehensive review of how the Accessible Information Standard had been implemented across the region at the time and highlighted the real-world experiences of people with disabilities or sensory impairments.

It identified key challenges including low awareness of the standard, inconsistent identification and recording of communication needs, and ongoing barriers to accessing information in suitable formats.

This insight article focuses on general feedback received by Healthwatch Hampshire between 1^st April 2025 and 31^st March 2026 which relates to the Accessible Information Standard. The feedback shows that people are still struggling to get the information they need in the way they need it.

What is the Accessible Information Standard?

The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) is a national NHS standard for health and adult social care services in England. It sets out how services must support people with a disability, impairment or sensory loss to:

• Access and understand information about their care.

• Receive the communication support they need to use services effectively (1).

  
  

The standard was published by NHS England in July 2015 and became a legal requirement from 1^st August 2016 (2).

It applies to organisations providing NHS care or publicly funded adult social care, including when carers or family members have communication needs.

Providers should be able to show, through feedback, including that provided to local Healthwatch (3), that people receive communication support and information in formats that meet their needs.

In practice, providers of NHS and publicly funded adult social care must:

1. Ask whether someone has communication or information needs.

2. Record those needs clearly and consistently.

3. Flag them so staff can easily see and act on them.

4. Share them appropriately when information is transferred between services.

5. Act to make sure communication needs are met in practice.

6. Review needs regularly and keep records up to date (3).

What is Healthwatch Hampshire hearing?

While the standard sets out clear duties, feedback to Healthwatch Hampshire suggests that these are not always being applied consistently in practice.

Looking at feedback between 1^st April 2025 and 31^st March 2026, five main themes stand out:

• Information that is unclear or overly complex

• Not being listened to or spoken to directly

• Digital barriers

• Appointment letters not meeting access needs

• Failure to follow reasonable adjustments

  
  

1. Information that is unclear or overly complex

People told us that written and verbal communication can be difficult to understand, particularly when services use jargon, abbreviations or unclear explanations.

“I don't always understand what is being said to me or what is in the letters sent, I would like this all to be simpler and doctors or nurses to take more time to explain things to me. I often need family to help me understand and it can make me worried if I don't know right away”. 

“Communication, and better written follow up letters, no 2 lines and abbreviations that patients have no clue on”. 

2. Not being listened to or spoken to directly

We also heard that some people, including people with learning disabilities, felt that professionals spoke to their carer rather than to them directly.

“I felt like I was talked to like I was a child, it felt like they didn't want to hear anything from me, only my mum. And I feel that they didn't properly listen to me.” 

Another example showed how unclear instructions and poor communication can increase anxiety and make it harder for people to seek help.

“I have a diagnosis of Aspergers. I had a health check at my GP. The information I was given was vague and my instructions were vague "take your BP occasionally". I asked for written instructions and was given unclear, brief instructions on a post-it-note that did not make sense. I am now too scared about my health to see my GP…” 

3. Digital barriers

Digital barriers were a regular feature in feedback. People told us that online-first systems can make services inaccessible, especially when they need to speak to someone directly or use a non-digital option.

One caller told us that he has communication difficulties and is on the waiting list for an autism assessment. He needs a GP appointment, but reception told him that all access to appointments is online and he finds this too overwhelming. He has a number of health issues and is only allowed to talk about one per visit, but he cannot get to see anyone.

Another person told us:

“Asked for a phone call as means of communication but only received an email” 

4. Appointment letters not meeting access needs

We heard that appointment letters and reminders are not always provided in a way that people can access. For example, one person told us that hospital appointment and reminder messages were sent by text and email, which had been very difficult for older family members to access.

Another person shared:

“The hospital sent appointment letter to someone who can’t see very well.” 

5. Failure to follow reasonable adjustments

One of the clearest concerns was where reasonable adjustments had been requested or recorded but were still not followed.

“On (date) I received a text message referring to a phone call attempt. However: The call came from a random mobile number, which my phone provider flagged as potential spam, no voicemail was left, the follow-up message provided no accessible contact options such as email or written form.

This is completely inappropriate, given that I have clearly and repeatedly requested written communication only due to neurodivergent and mental health-related needs. This reasonable adjustment is also documented with my GP” 

Summary

Feedback shared with Healthwatch Hampshire shows that many people continue to face avoidable barriers when accessing information or communicating with health and social care services. Across the stories we heard, the same issues appeared repeatedly: unclear communication, digital exclusion, people not being spoken to directly, inaccessible appointment information, and reasonable adjustments not being followed.

Although we did not carry out a specific survey on the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) in the same way as in 2024, the feedback we receive continues to indicate that people are not routinely being asked about their communication or information needs. Many of these issues could be improved if such needs were properly recorded and shared. Overall, this suggests that the Accessible Information Standard is still not being applied consistently in everyday practice.

Recommendations for individuals

• If you have not been asked about communication or information needs, ask your health and social care provider to record this information under the Accessible Information Standard.

• Check that your needs are being shared appropriately between services so you do not have to repeat the same information each time.

• If staff are not asking about your needs, raise this with the service and remind them that they should identify and record communication needs under the Accessible Information Standard.

• If your needs are not met, you can make a complaint and ask the service what action it will take to put this right.

Have you had a positive or negative experience of health and social care professionals meeting your communication or information needs under the Accessible Information Standard?

We would love to hear your feedback, as it helps us understand what is working well, where people are still facing barriers, and what improvements are needed.

By sharing your experience, you can help highlight the changes needed to make services more accessible for everyone.

References:

1) NHS England (2016) Accessible Information Standard (DAPB1605). Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/accessible-information-standard-requirements-dapb1605/ 

2) NHS England (2025) About the Standard. https://www.england.nhs.uk/accessible-information-standard/about-the-standard/

3) NHS England (2016) Accessible Information Standard