Picture this… a Deaf person needs to book a GP appointment.
They call the surgery… but no one there knows BSL.
They try to explain their symptoms through writing… but English isn’t their first language.
This scenario plays out across the UK every day. Healthcare communication barriers affect thousands of people, but they shouldn’t have to.
The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) exists to prevent these situations. It’s a legal requirement for NHS and adult social care providers. This blog explores what this means for you and your patients.
Understanding the Accessible Information Standard
The AIS requires all providers of NHS care and publicly-funded adult social care to meet the information and communication needs of people with disabilities, impairments or sensory loss.
This includes people who:
- Are Deaf or hard of hearing
- Are blind or partially sighted
- Have a learning disability
- Live with conditions like aphasia or cerebral palsy
- Are autistic
- Have mental health conditions that affect communication
The standard covers British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation and translation. While website accessibility falls under different regulations, all other aspects of healthcare communication must meet AIS requirements.
The five key steps of AIS compliance
The AIS breaks down into five clear, practical steps that help you build accessibility into your everyday work. Think of these steps as a pathway. Each one leads naturally to the next, creating a complete system for accessible communication.
When you implement all five steps correctly, they become part of your everyday workflow, making accessible communication automatic rather than an afterthought. The steps are…
- Identify
Start by asking patients about their communication needs during registration or initial assessment. Make this a standard part of your intake process. Ask clear, direct questions about how people prefer to receive information and what support they need during appointments.
For example: ‘Do you need information in a specific format?’, or ‘Would you like a BSL interpreter for your appointments?’.
- Record
Write down these needs in your patient records system. Be specific. Don’t just note ‘needs BSL interpreter’, record details like ‘requires BSL interpreter for all appointments’, or ‘needs all written communication in large print, Arial 18 point’. Keep these records up to date. Ask patients to confirm their needs haven’t changed each time they visit.
- Flag
Make sure everyone can see these requirements at a glance.
Use clear markers in both digital and paper records. Add visual alerts to patient files. Train your staff to look for these flags and understand what they mean.
A good flagging system helps busy healthcare workers spot communication needs quickly. This prevents missed requirements and ensures consistent support.
- Share
When referring patients to other services, share their communication needs (with consent). This saves patients from having to repeat themselves and ensures consistent support across different healthcare providers.
Include communication requirements in all referral letters and care transfers. Make it as routine as sharing medical history.
- Meet
Put support in place before appointments. Book interpreters, prepare alternative formats and arrange longer appointment slots if needed.
Make sure your patients can contact you in accessible ways, through email, text message or Text Relay. Provide information in formats people can understand:
- BSL in-vision translations for Deaf patients
- Large print or audio for visually impaired people
- Easy-read formats for people with learning disabilities
- Braille documents when required
Who needs to comply?
The scope of AIS compliance extends across the entire healthcare sector in England. Every NHS service provider must follow these standards, from the smallest GP surgery to the largest teaching hospital. This includes all adult social care providers, dental practices and community health services that receive public funding. Mental health services fall under these requirements, too, as do pharmacies that provide NHS services.
Even private healthcare organisations must comply with AIS when they deliver NHS-funded care. The standard applies to every patient interaction, whether it’s a routine check-up or complex treatment. There are very few exceptions to this rule. Only entirely private practices with no NHS-funded patients can operate outside these requirements.
Impact on patient care
AIS-compliant communications bring many benefits. When patients can fully understand their healthcare information, they become active participants in their own care. We see this every day in healthcare settings where AIS is properly implemented. Patients who previously relied on family members to translate can now attend appointments independently. Those who struggled with written instructions can now access information in formats that work for them.
These improvements lead to real changes in healthcare outcomes. Patients are more likely to take medication correctly when they understand the instructions. They keep their appointments because they know when and where to attend. Most importantly, they can ask questions and express concerns clearly to their healthcare providers.
Healthcare staff also report better job satisfaction when working in AIS-compliant settings. They can communicate more effectively with their patients, leading to more accurate diagnoses and better treatment plans.
This improved communication reduces stress for staff and patients, creating a more positive healthcare experience for everyone involved.
How can Sign Solutions help?
At Sign Solutions, we understand the challenges of implementing AIS-compliant communications in busy healthcare settings. We provide BSL interpreting and translation services, plus expert consultancy to help ensure your healthcare organisation is as accessible as possible to Deaf patients and service users.
All the skilled BSL interpreters we work with are DBS-checked and NRCPD-registered and can provide a high-quality service to Deaf people across the UK. We can also provide a range of accredited communications professionals for Deaf, Deafblind and hard of hearing users.
To find out more and for expert advice on which type of communication support will meet your needs, give us a call on 0843 178 0773, email bookings@signsolutions.uk.com or contact us via a BSL video interpreter.
