Accessible Information
To ensure disabled people and people with impairments or sensory loss: - can access and understand information about NHS and adult social care services - receive the communication support they need to use those services
Contents
- Documentation
About this standard
- Publisher
- NHS England
- Reference code
- DAPB1605 Amd 30/2025
- Publication date
- 3 July 2025
- Publication version
- 1.1.0
- Status
- Active
Show definitions of statuses
Active. Active standards are stable, maintained and have been approved, assured or endorsed for use by qualified bodies.
Deprecated Deprecated standards are available for use and are maintained, but are being phased out, so new functionality will not be added.
Retired standards Retired standards are not being maintained or supported and should not be used.
- Standard type
- Information standards
Show definitions of standard types
Collections. A Collection is a systematic gathering of a specified selection of data or information for a particular stated purpose from existing records held within health and care systems and electronic devices.
Extractions. An extraction is a type of collection that is pulled from an operational system by the data controller and transmitted to the receiver without additional processing or transcription by the sender.
Information standards. Information standards are agreed ways of doing something, written down as a set of precise criteria so they can be used as rules, guidelines, or definitions.
Technical Standards and specifications. Technical standards and specifications specify how to make information available technically including how the data is structured and transported.
- Contact point
Using this standard
- Applies to
- All providers of publicly-funded NHS, public health and adult social care services
- Impacts on
- All organisations that provide NHS or adult social care services are covered by the standard. This includes: • ICBs • Commissioners • NHS trusts • GP practices • ambulance services • private hospitals and organisations providing NHS services, such as dentists • local authorities • adult social care and any similar commissioned services
- Associated medias
- NHS England accessible information webpages Further information available on the NHS England website.
- NHS England accessible information webpages
Topics and care settings
- Topic
- Accessibility
- Access to records
- Appointment / scheduling
- Care
- Care records
- Information codes of practice
- Patient communication
- Prescribing
- Referrals
- Tests and diagnostics
- Vaccination
- Care setting
- Ambulance (Urgent and Emergency Care)
- Care home
- Community health
- Dentistry
- GP / Primary care
- Hospital
- Maternity
- Mental health
- Pharmacy
- Social care
- Urgent and Emergency Care
- Walk in centre
Dependencies and related standards
- Dependencies
- Related standards
Review Information
- Scope
- Health Services, NHS Services, Adult Social Care
- Sponsor
Andy Moody, Policy Unit, Department of Health and Social Care
- Senior Responsible Officer
Neil Churchill, Director for People and Communities, NHS England
- Business Lead
- Beverley Taylor, Equalities Lead, NHS England
- Approval date
- 3 June 2025
- Technical Committee
Data Alliance Partnership Board (DAPB)
Legal basis and endorsements
- Link to Information Standards Notice (ISN)
Information Standards Notices (ISNs) are published to announce new or changes to information standards published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012
- Legal authority
Section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012
This information standard is published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012
Other legal basis
This standard supports compliance with obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
More information
The accessible information standard describes how NHS and adult social care services should identify, record, flag, share, meet and review people’s information and communication support needs (referred to as ‘needs’ throughout the standard). It specifically applies to people who have information or communication support needs related to a disability, impairment or sensory loss. This includes patients and service users and carers and members of families who are involved in people’s care and have information or communication support needs related to disability, impairment or sensory loss themselves.
Page last updated: 11 August 2025