The aim of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) is to ensure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss can get information they can access and understand, and any communication support they need from health and care services. This forms part of the NHS Five Year Forward View, which focuses on reducing inequalities and enhancing personalisation and choice so service users are empowered in their own care.

The Standard dictates that patients, service users, carers and parents should:

• Be able to contact, and be contacted by, services in accessible ways, for example via email or text message;
• Be able to receive information and correspondence in formats they can read and understand, e.g. audio, braille, easy read, large print;
• Be supported by a communication professional at appointments if needed, e.g. a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter;
• Get support from health and care staff and organisations to communicate, for example to lid-read or use a hearing aid.

From a clinical perspective, it is anticipated that the Standard will result in:

• Improved health and wellbeing amongst patients in affected groups, and improved compliance with treatment or medical advice;
• More appropriate use of services by patients;
• Improvement in the effectiveness of clinical care due to addressing important barriers to communication.

For patients with a disability, impairment or sensory loss, the Standard means a greater ability to:

• Make decisions about health and wellbeing, and about care and treatment;
• Self-manage conditions, where appropriate;
• Access services independently;
• Make choices about treatments and procedures, including the provision or withholding of consent.

There are disabled parking spaces for patients immediately outside of the patient entrance. Please display your badge if you are parking here.

Wheelchair Access is to the ground floor only. We hold the complete range of our clinics on the ground floor and if you wish to have a consultation with a particular GP, we will arrange for this in a downstairs room.

We are able to send communications to you in large print or letters in large font. We will also communicate your needs with those people that we may refer you to. Please ensure that we know your requirements or if these change at any time.

We can assist you to find your way around the building if you would like. Our staff would be happy to help.

Some of our patients use Text/Speak apps which they find useful. 

We have a mobile loop induction system at reception. This can be taken with you to your appointment to aid your consultation. We can arrange for your appointment to be longer than 10 minutes if this would be of benefit.

Some of our patients request that key points are written down during their consultation. Please ask the clinician if you wish for this. Alternatively, you may wish to sign up for Online access and view your medical notes to view the consultations.

If you have particular needs, please let us know. We will do our very best to help make any adaptions that you may require.