NHS England has published a refreshed version of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) which was first released in 2016. Here we look at what the standard means for you and and how this has changed with the refreshed version. The aim of the AIS is to make sure that disabled people and who have a sensory impairment get information about their health in a way they can access and understand, and any communication support that they need. This includes making sure that people get information in accessible formats if they need it, for example in large print, braille, easy read or via email. It also includes appropriate support to help individuals communicate, for example, support from a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, deafblind manual interpreter or an advocate. All organisations that provide NHS or publicly funded adult social care services, including hospitals and GPs, must have ‘due regard’ to the new standard. Six things that you should expect from organisations that provide NHS or adult social care: You should be asked if you have any communication needs, and asked how these needs can be met Your needs should be recorded in a clear and set way. Your file or notes should highlight these communication needs so people are aware and know how to meet them. Information about your communication needs should be shared with other providers of NHS and adult social care, when they have consent or permission to do so. Information should be delivered to you in a way you can access and understand, with the option for communication support if needed. All organisations must have a senior AIS lead and must review how they are meeting the Accessible Information Standard. They should use the Self Assessment Frameworks to monitor how well they are implementing the AIS. Find out more about the Accessible Information Standard .  What do I do if my communications needs are not met?  If you believe your local health service is failing to meet your communications needs, there are a number of things you can do:  Give feedback or make a formal complaint via the NHS or council complaints processes – read our guide here on making a complaint . Share your experience with us or the Care Quality Commission , which inspects services, as they could use it to build a picture of problems with certain services and take further action Contact a local councillor or your local MP. We also remind the public of their right to use the  NHS complaints process  to get services to respond to any concerns that their communication and disability needs are not being me You can also contact the following organisations for support you if you have a disability or sensory impairment:  RNIB – for people who have a visual impairment.  RNID – for people who have a hearing impairment.  SignHealth – for deaf people. Sense – support for people who are deafblind.  Mind  - support for people living with mental health problems.  Our role Healthwatch has been advocating for a better AIS, working with leading national charities, including RNIB, RNID, Mind and SignHealth. We will continue to press for the government to make the AIS fully mandatory for health and care organisations, which would require new regulations to come into force. We are committed to making sure all our information is clear and accessible for everyone. It is vital that anybody who wants to find out about our work is able to do so.

We want to reassure everyone that Healthwatch Somerset continues to operate as usual. The Government has announced plans to end the current model of local Healthwatch services and bring them under control of the Local Authority and the Integrated Care Board. However, this change is not yet law  — and until any legislation is passed, we remain fully active and independent . Our work hasn’t changed. We’re still here to listen to your experiences, provide advice and support, and make sure your voice shapes local health and care services. We believe a strong, independent public voice is vital — and we’re proud to continue representing our community during this time. We’ll keep you updated, but for now, please be assured: it’s business as usual at Healthwatch Somerset .

Our March newsletter includes updates about our work, information about health and care services, and helpful advice. Sheila and the Grand Kids visit a farm To read our March newsletter - click on the pdf below If you need this newsletter in a different format, please email: info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk  or call 0800 999 1286.

Our May Newsletter includes updates about our work, information about health and care services, and helpful advice. Cherry blossom tree To read our May Newsletter - click on the pdf below If you need this newsletter in a different format, please email: info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk or call 0800 999 1286.

HM The King’s New Year Honours List 2025 celebrated over 1200 people who have made outstanding contributions to their communities across the UK. We spoke to one person from Somerset who received an honour. British Empire Medals On Friday 9 May 2025, at Bishop’s Palace in Wells, the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mr Mohammed Saddiq presented British Empire Medals (BEMs) to six people from Somerset. One of those recipients is well known to us and has given valuable intelligence and support to some of our work. Caroline Toll from Frome was awarded a BEM for her services to unpaid carers. Caroline Toll and Mohammed Saddiq, the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset Caroline took care of her husband for five years after he had a stroke. When he died in 1999, she started focusing more on helping and raising awareness for other caregivers. Over the past 25 years Caroline has held a variety of roles supporting carers in Somerset. We have listed a few of her achievements below: Founded the first Carers UK  committee in Somerset in 2000 after becoming a volunteer. Carers UK Local Ambassador volunteer since 2014. An essential figure in producing Somerset's first Commitment to Carers document in 2016 and revised version in 2024 . Previous member of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Board. Still works closely with a variety of health and care professionals to increase understanding around carers. Caroline told us: “It’s really nice to have the recognition, but I think all carers should have a medal.” The five other BEMs were awarded to: David Addis  from Long Ashton for services to Long Ashton in North Somerset. Douglas Allen  from Chard for services to policing and the community in Somerset. Angela Clarke from Wedmore for services to Mental Health and to sufferers of substance misuse and trauma. Roy Gibson from Bath for services to space. John Hardy from Bridgwater for services as a volunteer for Blind Veterans UK . We congratulate everyone who received the BEM and thank them for the important ways they have helped their communities in Somerset and beyond. Pictured left to right: David Addis, Janet Montgomery (High Sheriff of Somerset), Angela Clarke, Roy Gibson, Doug Allen, Mohammed Saddiq (Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset), Caroline Toll, John Hardy Images kindly provided by the Lord-Lieutenant’s office .

Our June Newsletter includes updates about our work, information about health and care services, and helpful advice. Photo taken at Barrington Court, a National Trust property in Somerset To read our June Newsletter - click on the pdf below If you need this newsletter in a different format, please email: info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk  or call 0800 999 1286.

You may have become aware over the weekend that the Government intends to close Healthwatch England (and therefore your local Healthwatch). This is to streamline patient safety bodies as part of their new ten-year strategy, to be announced in more detail later this week.   We wanted to reassure you that Healthwatch Somerset are operating as usual and continuing to deliver on ensuring that health and social care works better for people, and remain your source for information, advice and guidance about local services. We have a great workplan of activity to deliver based on what you told us matters to you. We are very much here to listen to what you like about services and what you think could be improved. Whatever the issue, we want to hear about it.    We will be in touch when we have more information about key changes. In the meantime, if you have any concerns, please Contact us Thank you

In our latest report, we talk about people's experiences when trying to make appointments at a local doctor’s surgery in West Somerset In March 2024 we published our report Access to GP appointments in West Somerset   which stated our commitment to revisit the work and collect future feedback. We wanted to understand people's experiences of accessing GP services in Minehead. This report has been created using the feedback we heard from people in Minehead from September 2024 to February 2025. Key findings People are experiencing extended wait times for appointments. The feedback indicated that a lack of GP’s registered at the surgery creates barriers in patient-doctor relationships. The reliance on locum GP’s creates gaps in continuity of care. Read our Report If you need this report in a different format, please email info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk or call 0800 999 1286

We asked you to help shape our workplan for 2025/26 and our latest report shows the results of what you told us. Each year, we gather information about how local health and social services are running and use it to spot common patterns or issues. Using the intelligence collected over the course of 12 months, alongside wider national considerations, our Advisory Board discuss possible key projects for the next year. Our goal is to listen to what people have to say. We want to make sure that the main projects we choose for the year are sound and clear, and that they truly reflect the needs of the community. Every year, we share a list of the top project ideas with the public, and everyone gets a chance to pick their two favorite options. To find out the result, read our brief report which explains the methods and findings from our public investigation. Read our report If you need this report in a different format, please email  info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk   or call 0800 999 1286.

In our latest report, we detail the engagement with ABI survivors and professionals which has revealed gaps in the county's healthcare and rehabilitation pathways for people with an acquired brain injury. One of the activities of a Local Healthwatch is to make reports and recommendations about how local care services could or ought to be improved. In 2022 Healthwatch Somerset worked with NHS Somerset ICB to create a series of case studies, to support a business case for change, by interviewing people who had lived experience of an acquired brain injury (ABI) and neurological rehabilitation. An acquired brain Injury is any damage to the brain that occurs after birth and is not related to a congenital or degenerative condition. It can be the result of a range of causes, including traumatic events such as falls or accidents or medical issues like strokes, infections or oxygen deprivation. One key area of focus raised in 23/24 was support and care at home and the suggestion was made to us that we should link the two areas together. This gave us the chance to assess the current situation, review reports and projects that have been conducted both locally and nationally. This report builds on previous work and explores the current situation. Key findings There is a shortage of neuropsychologists in Somerset. There are gaps in the provision of appropriate information for ABI patients/families, especially on discharge from hospital. There is a lack of awareness of ABI in the general population. There is a lack of data tracking for ABI survivors. There is a need for standardised outcome measures. The support provided by Headway Somerset is invaluable. Read our report If you need this report in a different format, please email info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk or call 0800 999 1286

Our annual report, Unlocking the power of people-driven care, highlights how we've worked throughout the year to understand people's health and care needs, and used public feedback to help NHS and social care services in Somerset improve. The report also outlines our work planned for 2025-26. The year in numbers 5094 people shared their experiences of health and social care services with us, helping to raise awareness of issues and improve care. 1364 people came to us for clear advice and information on topics such as how they can find an NHS dentist and how they can make a complaint about their GP surgery. 34 outstanding volunteers supported us last year, giving up 595 hours of their time to make care better for their community. We published 5 reports about the improvements people would like to see to health and social care services. Our priorities for the next year Investigating waiting lists for procedures, including the timing and method of patient contact during waiting periods for medical treatments. Holding an event in October 2025 focusing on accessible information in Somerset health and care. Following up on the Healthwatch England pharmacy survey by looking at the pharmacy provision in Somerset. Working with Somerset Council to listen to people’s experiences of working with micro-providers. Supporting our communities to understand the future NHS 10-year plan and it’s recommendations. These include moving from hospital to the community, embracing digital transformation, and shifting from treatment to prevention. Following up on the recommendations that have been made in our work in 24/25. Read our report Read the full Annual Report 2024-2025 to find out more about our work during the past year. If you need this report in a different format, please email info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk or call 0800 999 1286.

Our April Newsletter includes updates about our work, information about health and care services, and helpful advice. A photo of a Camellia flower To read our April Newsletter - click on the pdf below If you need this newsletter in a different format, please email: info@healthwatchsomerset.co.uk  or call 0800 999 1286.