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Health Services: Information

Asked by Mr Tanmanjeet Singh DhesiLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 22 May 2025UIN 50897

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS compliance with the Accessible Information Standard.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock

Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss.

The AIS conformance criteria, published in 2016, set out how NHS organisations and publicly funded social care providers should comply with the AIS, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/patient-equalities-programme/equality-frameworks-and-information-standards/accessibleinfo/resources/assess-conformance/

The responsibility for monitoring compliance with the AIS sits with the commissioner of the service.

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