Dr Hannah Brown describes the benefits of the reasonable adjustment digital flag and how it will support people with a disability to get equal, equitable and fair access to health and social care.
Video transcript
Hannah: Everyone who walks through our doors deserves to feel seen, heard and understood. The Equality Act 2010 places a legal obligation on organisations to make sure that all of our services are equally accessible. A legal obligation to ensure that people with disabilities receive equal, equitable and fair access to care. To help fulfil this obligation in practice, NHS England has developed the reasonable adjustment digital flag.
It enables organisations to identify, record, view, review and share a person’s individual adjustment needs and, if they wish, their disabilities and impairments. It’s designed so that people do not have to repeatedly explain those needs, and that their requirements are understood and acted upon wherever they access health and social care. We are so excited about the potential impact of this for patients, for carers and for staff.
The digital flag represents a significant move to reducing long-term health inequalities, and ultimately, the flag will help us to deliver the kind of services we all want: that are fair, equitable and really person-centred. This isn’t just about data and technology. This is about breaking down barriers. This is about improving health and care outcomes for people, improving their experiences and their lives.