The NHS accessible information standard in GP practices enter and view summary report

The NHS Accessible Information Standard (AIS) became law from 1st August 2016 and applies to all NHS services and publicly funded adult social care organisations. The Care Quality Commission is now including the AIS in their inspections of services (including hospitals, GP practices and dentists). The Standard sets out a specific, consistent approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing and meeting the information and communication support needs of patients, service users, carers and parents with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.

NHS England led a review of the Standard in early 2017 and found that although the principles of the Standard were widely supported and there were proven benefits to people using services and their carers, compliance varied across and within organisations. In May 2017, Healthwatch Shropshire decided to visit a number of GP practices in the county to find out what progress had been made locally in

implementing the Standard and any challenges the practices faced. Between November 2017 and June 2018 Healthwatch Shropshire Enter and View Authorised Representatives (volunteers) visited nine GP practices and spoke to a total of 82 services users (patients, carers and Patient Participation Group members) and 23 staff, including Practice Managers and reception staff, to find out what they knew about the Accessible Information Standard and how it has affected them. Visit teams also made observations of the practice environment, including how easy practices were to find and access, e.g. for disabled people. They also looked at how information was shared with service users within the practices (e.g. notice boards, electronic screens, Tannoy systems, alarms) and through the PPGs and how effective these methods were.

All practices are encouraged to learn from the examples of good practice identified during our visits and collated in this report.