Last review date 03/02/2023

GP practices must follow the Accessible Information Standard by law. This aims to ensure that disabled people have access to information that they can understand and they receive any communication support that they might need. The 'reasonable adjustments, communications & accessibility' template will assist you to record anything from the need for large font to the need for an interpreter.


If a patient has Communication Needs recorded already, they will have this icon under their name. Click this icon to open the template or go to 'Auto-consultations > Ardens General > Communication Needs'


A patient will have this icon if:

  • They are registered blind or deaf
  • They require an interpreter
  • They have the 'Patient has communication/information need Y17f2' Read code
  • They need information or contact by a certain method recorded already


The Reasonable Adjustments, Communications & Accessibility Template



The template is split into 4 tabs; Home, Information Accessibility, Environmental Adjustments and Additional Entries.


The Home tab allows you to see what has been recorded on the patients record already by looking through the Communication Needs view in the bottom half of the template.  


The top half of the Home tab allows you to record some Status codes on the patient if they haven't been added by looking through the view, these include the useful RA codes that ensure the RA digital flag is added to the record.


The Information Accessibility tab covers codes useful for communication, online access, language, processing information and any adjustments that might be required.


The Environmental Adjustments tab allows you to record any further codes relating to medication, mobility and intolerances.


The Additional Entries tab cover further codes that will also be added to the patients SCR additional Information pages if this has been set up for the patient.


Available Reports


To identify patients with Communication Needs, go to 'Clinical Reporting > Ardens > Administration > Communication needs'


Here you will also see a report called '?Assess Communication Needs as at risk and not assessed'. This identifies patients at risk who may need their communication needs assessed, for example patients with learning difficulties. Adding either of the following Read codes on their record will remove them from this list.

  • 'Patient has communication/information need Y17f2'
  • 'Patient does not have communication/information need Y17f3' 


Further information about communication needs and preferred contact method for invitations can be found here; 

Communication needs and preferred contact method