How accessible is the information at GP surgeries?: South West London Healthwatch Accessible Information Standard Project
Do you have 10 minutes to help us understand how easy it is to understand and communicate information about health and care with GPs?
If you identify as having communication and information needs due to a disability or condition like neurodiversity, sensory loss, certain neurological conditions, and/or learning disability we want to hear from you via a short survey link at the end of this article.
What is the accessible information standard?
The Standard applies to the whole of the NHS. Our project focuses on improving accessible communication in GP practices across South West London.” – “Our work builds upon the Healthwatch England “Your Care, Your Way” campaign which recommended that health and care providers improve implementation of the Standard.
Working with patients and carers
We are collaborating with voluntary sector colleagues across South West London to reach people with different disabilities. We have surveys and are hosting focus groups to hear about the experiences of patients and their carers. We are learning how well GP practices are meeting people’s communication needs and listening to people’s recommendations for how GP practices can further improve accessibility.
Working with GP practices
We are interested in working with anyone who engages with patients through their job at a GP practice, including, but not limited to, clinicians, nurses, receptionists, social prescribers, and patient navigators. Our goal is to make it easier and more efficient for GP practices to adhere to the Standard, and not to name and shame practices for poor implementation. We are working with GP practices in the following ways:
- Requesting their participation in a survey to help us understand how the Accessible Information Standard is currently implemented in practices, and the barriers and facilitators to meeting people’s communication needs. (This survey is currently open).
- Creating a community of practice that can help create and share strategies that respond to people’s recommendations as well as to the findings from the GP practice survey. We hope to have our first meeting in June 2024. GP practices can sign up to receive updates.
- Understanding what has changed for patients and carers because of this project. This evaluation will take place in early 2025.
How can I learn more about this project?
Please subscribe to our mailing list to hear updates about this project. You can also contact the project leads with any questions:
Alyssa Chase-Vilchez, South West London Healthwatch Executive Officer, alyssa@swlhealthwatch.org.uk
Iyinoluwa Oshinowo, South West London Engagement Coordinator, iyinoluwa@swlhealthwatch.org.uk
Do you have 10 minutes to help us understand how easy it is to understand and communicate information about health and care with GPs?
If you identify as having communication and information needs due to a disability or condition like neurodiversity, sensory loss, certain neurological conditions, and/or learning disability we want to hear from you via a short survey.
Through your feedback SWL Healthwatch's are aiming to help improve the experiences of people with certain conditions and disabilities that affect their ability to understand and communicate important information about their health and care. Our goals are to help make GP practices more accessible and to reduce health inequalities.
Upon completing this survey, we will send you a £15 voucher. You will need to share your personal details so that we can send the voucher. Your personal information will remain confidential and will not be shared.
Complete the survey here.
There is also a separate survey for carers here.
