Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 32209 on Health and Care Act 2022, when he expects the Accessible Information Standard to (a) be published and (b) become mandatory.

NHS England is working to support implementation of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) with awareness raising, communication and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the National Health Service are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using these services. The revised standards are expected to be published in summer 2025. In the meantime, the current AIS remains in force and public health and adult social care providers will continue to have due regard for it.

As part of new arrangements that will make information standards mandatory, following the commencement of regulations made under the Health and Care Act 2022, we intend to introduce mandatory information standards in a staged process. The Department and NHS England are considering what will be the first standards to be adopted under this process.

To ensure a frictionless transition from the existing information standards system to the new process for mandatory information standards, information standards made under the existing system will continue to have effect until they have been revoked, have expired, or have met the new procedural requirements and therefore become mandatory.