At Surrey and Borders we are committed to providing fair access to our services for everyone and ensuring each individual's communication support needs are met.

This includes particular focus on people who use services and carers with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.

In response to the Accessible Information Standard launched by NHS England are now taking the following steps:

  • Identify communication needs and find out the best way to support these needs. This will allow us to communicate with people in the way that suits their needs
  • Record these needs. We have launched a new tool in our electronic patient record system, SystmOne, which will allow staff to record any communication needs that a person who uses services or a carer has
  • Flag these needs within the person's electronic records so that prompt action can be taken to address them
  • Share these needs with relevant social care providers/other NHS Trusts to create a consistency of care
  • Act on these needs with a wide range of communication tools that cater for all disability, impairment and sensory loss. We have a range of interpreters, translators and tools in place to support people and are working to extend our range of tools further.

When you attend your first or next appointment with us from 1 August 2016 onwards you will be asked for your communication support needs. Our aim is to provide people with suitable support to improve the experiences of individuals with disability, impairment or a sensory loss. This can include information in easy read, large print, Braille or electronic formats or arranging for a British Sign Language or other interpreter to help you communicate.

Please talk to your team about your communication support needs.

Download copies of our patient information leaflets in alternative formats

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