Accessibility tools

Reasonable Adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement to make sure health services are accessible to all people with a disability or impairment (Equality Act 2010). This includes people with a physical disability, sensory disability, learning disability or a long term condition such as dementia.

The NHS must make it as easy for disabled people to use health services as it is for people who are not disabled. This is called making reasonable adjustments. A reasonable adjustment is when someone changes how they do things to make it better for you.

Reasonable adjustments are small adjustments that can make a big difference for people who require support when they attend hospital or any other health appointments.

Examples of reasonable adjustments which can be made include:

  • Arranging the first or the last appointment of the day
  • Longer appointments if someone needs more time with a doctor or nurse to make sure they understand the information they are given
  • Using tools such as pictures or images to support communication
  • Providing information in other formats, such as Easy Read or Braille
  • Quiet area to wait (if available)
  • Flexible visiting (if appropriate)
  • Using an interpreter and translation service (if applicable)

If you would like more information about any support you require, please contact the department you are attending or let any of the following people know: 

  • someone from the appointments team when you are booking an appointment with us 
  • a member of staff when you arrive in a clinic or the Emergency Department
  • the receptionist or nursing staff when you visit the hospital 

The below video is an example of some of the adjustments we can support to make an individual's experience easier and more comfortable.