The Health Secretary Wes Streeting was hand delivered an inaccessible health appointment letter this week as part of a campaign by disability charities to make health information and communication more accessible.
On the eve of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the campaigners from RNIB, Macular Society, Mencap, RNID, Sense, SignHealth, and Thomas Pocklington Trust delivered a mocked-up hospital appointment letter that had all the important information missing.
They thought an unreadable letter would bring home to the Department of Health how people with communication needs still regularly receive important health and care information they struggle to read or understand.
Speaking outside the Department of Health and Social Care, RNIB Chair Anna Tylor said: “Our message is simple – people with communication needs have a legal right to accessible health information and communication support, and not receiving it puts our health and wellbeing at risk. The Government has asked for our views on the future of the NHS, and we’re telling them: it’s time to make our right a reality.”
In 2016 the NHS Accessible Information Standard was launched. This means that all organisations that provide NHS care and/or publicly-funded adult social care are legally required to follow it. 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.
This should mean people can receive information in alternative formats like large print, easy read, email, audio, British Sign Language and braille.
However, according to a report by a coalition of charities in 2022, 77% of people with accessible information needs say that they rarely or never receive health or care information in alternative formats.
Full implementation would enable people with communication needs to manage their health and care with the same level of independence, privacy and dignity as anyone else. This would also save the NHS money by reducing missed appointments due to inaccessible appointment letters.
The charities are now calling on the Health Secretary to:
The Government is consulting on the future of the NHS in England and Mencap is working to create an accessible, Easy Read version of the NHS consultation form to help people with a learning disability have their say.
Make sure your views are heard, and speak up for the right to accessible health and care information and communication support, by taking part in the NHS consultation for England.
Find out more and submit your response.
