Your Care Your Way-Meeting Communication Needs

To support Healthwatch England’s Your Care Your Way Campaign, we gathered experiences of people locally, raised awareness of the standard within the local community and shined a spotlight on the impact of communication needs not being met.

We heard from a range of people with communication needs, their families and carers, receiving suggestions to improve communication and the way information can be provided.

  • Consider print size on letters
  • Displaying patients’ names on a screen when they are called up for an appointment
  • The choice to have information provided via face-to-face appointment
  • Slightly longer appointment times for those with communication needs
  • Staff knowledge of who in the room to provide information to, and what level of detail is appropriate

Recommendations for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Integrated Care System:

  • Work to raise awareness of the NHS Accessible Information Standard to help ensure both service users, carers and staff are aware of their rights
  • Ensure it is standard practice to ask people about their communication needs
  • Ensure that carers are asked about their communication needs and are fully supported in their caring role
  • Direct people to clear information about the NHS Accessible Information Standard that is all in one place including links to relevant support services/groups (e.g. webpage)
  • Consider the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people and their carers when they are unable to understand information from health and social care services
  • Recognise that access to information digitally (e.g. websites, social media, email, text messages) is not an appropriate option or available for everyone

Full Report

An easy read version will be available soon but if you need this report in a different format please contact us:

enquiries@healthwatchshropshire.co.uk

01743 237884

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