An All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment has published a new report called Accessible healthcare in a digital NHS.
This report outlines the difficulties blind and partially sighted people face when using the NHS App. It found that just 3.1 per cent of people responding to its survey rated the NHS App as fully accessible, while 53 per cent said it was not accessible or only slightly accessible. With the government planning to make the NHS App the digital front door to healthcare by 2028, the findings raise concerns about how blind and partially sighted people will access appointments, medical information and other essential services.
The report makes five recommendations for government and NHS England, including involving blind and partially sighted people in the design of digital services, improving accessibility standards and ensuring patients only need to record their accessibility requirements once.