Carry communication needs into the next appointment

What we found in the news

NHS England's revised Accessible Information Standard (opens in a new tab), published in June 2025, describes a sequence for communication support:

“identify, record, flag, share, meet and review”

— NHS England, Accessible Information Standard, requirements

The standard applies to specified NHS and adult social care services and addresses needs related to disability, impairment or sensory loss. We are looking at its practical lesson for continuity, without claiming that a genus feature establishes compliance with the standard.

Why this matters to us

In an illustrative situation, a person has told a service that standard print is difficult to read. That information is recorded. The next appointment letter still arrives in the same format.

The record contains an answer; the process has not used it.

This is the kind of gap genus wants teams to notice. Information about access matters because of the action it should change: how an invitation is sent, how a conversation is prepared or what support is arranged before someone arrives.

Ask about the support that works

A diagnosis or broad label does not necessarily explain what a person needs for a particular exchange. Ask how they want information provided and what communication support is useful.

The answer might concern print size, an accessible digital format, hearing support, a quieter setting or another approach. Use the appropriate professional and accessibility resources for the individual situation.

Avoid assuming that a companion can supply the support. A chosen supporter may be helpful, but the person should not have to bring someone merely because the service has not prepared its own communication.

In our illustrative example, staff can confirm the suitable format and check how the next letter will be produced. The practical action belongs to an identifiable part of the service.

Follow the need through the workflow

Look beyond the place where the information is entered. Who prepares the appointment? Who sends the letter? Who welcomes the person? Which of those steps needs to change?

Share relevant information through approved channels and with appropriate permissions. The receiving service needs enough context to prepare without unnecessary disclosure of unrelated personal details.

A flag should lead to an action staff understand. If it simply says that someone needs support, a new colleague may still have to start from the beginning.

Confirm arrangements that require booking or equipment. Recording a need for a particular communication service does not establish that it will be available at the appointment time.

Check whether the support was useful

Needs and preferences can change. An accessible format that worked for one document may not work for a longer or more complex discussion.

Ask the person whether the arrangement helped and what should be different next time. Make corrections through the service's record process so they reach the people preparing the next encounter.

Managers can test a fictional journey from referral to appointment. Does the communication need affect the actual output? Can staff find the instruction they need? Is there a route for reporting that the format was unsuitable?

Include people who use communication support in an appropriate review process. A technical accessibility check and a person's experience offer different kinds of evidence; both can reveal something useful.

The genus connection

Today, configured genus resources and communication experiences can support an organization's reviewed content and selected delivery channels. The specific accessibility requirements must be assessed against the actual content, interface and workflow.

A preference stored in a system does not prove that it is acted on everywhere, and a feature list is not evidence of compliance with a service standard. Organizations need to verify their end-to-end arrangements.

For us, the useful design test is concrete: does the information about someone's communication need change what they receive next? The answer belongs in the appointment, letter and conversation they experience.

One question to take away

Where does a recorded communication need become a confirmed action in your next appointment process?