At Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare, we believe that everyone should be able to access care that works for them. We’re committed to removing barriers and making sure our services are inclusive, respectful, and responsive to individual needs.
Under the Equality Act 2010, all organisations have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments changes that help ensure services are accessible to everyone, especially those who may face challenges due to disability, health conditions, or other needs.
These adjustments are about more than just meeting legal requirements they’re about listening to people, understanding what matters to them, and providing care that fits.
Reasonable adjustments are changes we can make to help ensure everyone can access and use our services in a way that works for them. These changes are especially important for people with physical or mental impairments but they can benefit anyone who faces barriers to care.
Often, these adjustments are small but they can make a big difference.
Examples of Reasonable Adjustments
Here are just a few ways we can adapt our care to better support you:
- Ensuring wheelchair access in GP surgeries and hospitals
- Sending appointment letters in plain English or easy-read formats
- Offering priority appointments for people who find waiting difficult
- Providing longer appointments to give more time for understanding and discussion
- Making a quiet space available while waiting
- Using hearing loop systems in consultation rooms
- Referring to a person’s hospital or health and care passport for key information
- Providing a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter or remote video-link interpretation
- Using a communication chart to support someone with dementia during appointments
These adjustments help us deliver care that listens and support that fits so everyone can feel safe, respected, and understood.
Everyone experiences healthcare differently. If something makes it harder for you to access or receive care, you can ask for a reasonable adjustment. A change that helps make things easier, safer, or more comfortable for you.
You might need a reasonable adjustment if you experience challenges related to:
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Vision: Includes blindness, partial sight, reduced visual clarity, limited peripheral vision, light sensitivity, or difficulty with contrast.
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Hearing: Ranges from mild hearing loss to complete deafness. May affect your ability to hear alarms, follow speech, or involve sensitivity to certain sounds or tones.
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Mobility: Includes difficulty walking, climbing stairs, or coordination (e.g. dyspraxia), as well as sensory or cognitive issues that affect movement.
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Dexterity: Challenges with lifting, carrying, fine motor skills, hand coordination, or grip strength.
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Learning, Understanding, or Concentrating: May involve difficulties processing information, following instructions, focusing, filtering distractions, or organising tasks.
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Communication, Reading, or Writing: Includes difficulties with understanding or using language, expressing thoughts verbally or non-verbally, or reading and writing fluently.
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Memory: Challenges with remembering instructions, appointments, or routines; retaining verbal information; or managing multi-step tasks.
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Mental Health: Conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or OCD. These may be short-term, long-term, or vary over time.
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Stamina, Breathing, or Fatigue: Difficulty with physically or mentally demanding tasks, often needing breaks. May relate to chronic illness, respiratory or heart conditions, or neurodivergence.
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Social or Behavioural Needs: Includes autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, or trauma-related challenges. May affect understanding of social cues like facial expressions or tone of voice.
If any of these apply to you or if there’s anything else that would help you feel more comfortable and supported please let us know.
Your clinical team may already be aware of some of your needs through flags in your medical records. But you can also tell us directly if there’s anything we can do to make your care more accessible and comfortable.
You can request a reasonable adjustment by:
- Calling your care team
- Writing to us
- Speaking to someone in your care team directly
Please let us know as early as possible so we can make the right adjustments to support you throughout your care and treatment.
Understanding what matters to you, your needs, preferences, and anything that helps us tailor your care is essential. When we record this information, it helps us provide care that’s more supportive, reduces stress, and ensures a better experience for both you and the people looking after you.
To make sure we meet your needs and provide the best possible care, we may record the following information when you request a reasonable adjustment:
We will record the specific changes or support you’ve asked for. These might include:
- Easy Read or large print letters
- A quiet waiting area
- Longer or priority appointments
- Help with communication or understanding
- Step-free access or mobility support
- Support for sensory sensitivities or anxiety
- Use of a BSL interpreter or communication aid
You can choose to tell us about any disability, condition, or barrier that affects how you access care such as autism, dementia, stroke, or a sensory impairment. This helps us understand your needs better, but it’s entirely up to you.
For more information on the information we hold and share as part of your record visit Your information, your rights :: Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust
The following videos offer helpful insights into how reasonable adjustments can support fairer, more accessible healthcare.