Making healthcare communications accessible to every patient

Executive summary 

• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, employing more than 28,000 staff.
• The Trust needed a standardised way to record and meet patient accessibility requirements in line with the Accessible Information Standard.
• Accessibility needed to be embedded into the HIVE Electronic Patient Record implementation from the outset.
• AIS codes were aligned within HIVE so patient communication needs could be recorded consistently and automatically applied to outgoing correspondence.
• Accessible formats, including alternative language translations and tailored correspondence options, are now triggered automatically based on recorded patient requirements.

The challenge: accessibility needed to be systematic, not manual

Many patients with accessible information needs do not routinely receive correspondence in formats they can easily understand. 

The trust needed a standardised way to record and meet accessibility requirements across a large organisation while raising awareness of AIS requirements across more than 28,000 staff. 

The solution: AIS coding integrated into HIVE workflows 

Restore Information Management implemented a structured and scalable approach to managing accessible communications. 

Working with the Trust, AIS codes were aligned within the HIVE Electronic Patient Record system so communication needs could be recorded consistently and applied to outgoing correspondence. 

Accessible formats, including alternative language translations and tailored correspondence options, are triggered automatically based on recorded patient requirements. 

The results: accessibility embedded into the Trust’s digital infrastructure 

Accessibility is now embedded into the Trust’s digital infrastructure, supporting its ambition to remove barriers and improve patient experience. 

Automating formatting and translation processes has reduced manual workload and improved operational efficiency. 

Patients can receive information in formats that support understanding, engagement and participation in their own care. 

The story in numbers

• 28,000+ staff employed by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
• Accessibility requirements integrated into HIVE Electronic Patient Record system
• AIS codes aligned within HIVE workflows
• Automated translation workflows implemented
• Alternative format workflows implemented
• Initial focus on outpatient letters, with a framework designed to extend wider clinical correspondence