Accessibility
Accessible Information Standard
This website was constructed to guidelines recommended by NHS England’s Accessible Information Standard and the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
We make every effort to make sure it can be easily accessed by all.
The Accessible Information Standard aims to ensure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with information that they can easily read or understand with support so they can communicate effectively with services. Examples of the types of support that might be required include large print, braille or using a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.
What is required under the standard?
All organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care are required to follow the new standard, including NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts, and GP practices. As part of the accessible information standard, these organisations must do five things:
- Ask people if they have any information or communication needs, and find out how to meet their needs.
- Record those needs clearly and in a set way.
- Highlight or ‘flag’ the person’s file or notes so it is clear that they have information or communication needs and how those needs should be met.
- Share information about people’s information and communication needs with other providers of NHS and adult social care when they have consent or permission to do so.
- Take steps to ensure that people receive information which they can access and understand, and receive communication support if they need it.
Translation/Interpreter requests
If you require an interpreter at an appointment, please let your healthcare professional know and they will arrange whether a face to face interpreter or telephone interpreter is required.
Communication
If you would like to be communicated within a certain way for example, verbally, written or via text message or email then please let your healthcare professional know and they will arrange the most suitable method of communication for you.
How to request our online/printed materials in a different format?
If you require a resource or material in an alternate format for example braille, audio, large print or another language, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0300 303 9951 / 0300 303 9952 or by email at provide.customerservices@nhs.net
Accessibility help with operating systems and browsers
Modern web browsers can easily be configured to allow users to set-up their equipment to support their individual needs. Instructions vary according to the operating system and web browser (EG Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox or Google Chrome). Please see below for a list of accessibility help for some of the most common operating systems and browsers:
Further information is also available on NHS choices: help with accessibility.
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files
Some documents on our site may be in Adobe Portable Document Format. Adobe PDF documents allow us to provide you with reports, leaflets and other materials that maintain the attractive formatting and graphic images of the printed version without the time and cost of re-formatting as individual web pages.
To view Adobe PDF files
To open PDF documents, you will need to have Adobe Reader software installed on your computer. Download free Adobe Reader software
Accessibility tools for Adobe PDFs: Adobe have developed a number of ways to make PDF files accessible to those using screen readers. For more information, visit their Adobe accessibility page.