FOI2026/2102

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide, for NHS Greater Manchester ICB:

1. how the ICB assures its NHS acute providers’ compliance with NHS Standard Contract Service Condition SC12 (the Accessible Information Standard), including any report, return, audit or assurance meeting paper held since April 2024;

2. whether any contract, quality schedule or assurance framework the ICB holds with those providers includes a requirement, indicator or KPI on the quality, accessibility or review currency of written patient information (and if so, the wording of that requirement);

3. the job title (not the name) of the role in the ICB responsible for assuring the Accessible Information Standard across its providers.

1. Assurance of compliance with SC12 and the Accessible Information Standard

NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board commissions its NHS acute providers under the NHS Standard Contract. Service Condition SC12 applies through those contracts and requires providers to communicate with service users in a readily understandable, functional and timely manner. SC12.3 specifically requires the provider to comply with the Accessible Information Standard.

Compliance is primarily the responsibility of each provider. The ICB may seek assurance through its established quality and contract-management arrangements, including provider review processes, consideration of relevant quality, patient experience, complaints and regulatory information, and escalation of identified concerns where appropriate.

The ICB does not have a separate routine report, return or audit specifically commissioned for the sole purpose of assuring acute providers’ compliance with SC12 since 1 April 2024. The ICB has also not identified a meeting paper within scope that provides a consolidated, provider-by-provider assessment of compliance with the Accessible Information Standard.

Accordingly, the ICB does not hold a separate SC12 or Accessible Information Standard assurance return or consolidated audit for the period requested.

2. Contractual requirements concerning written patient information

The ICB does not have a separate locally agreed indicator or KPI with its acute providers that specifically measures the quality, accessibility or review currency of written patient information. The applicable requirements are therefore those contained in the NHS Standard Contract Service Condition SC12 (the Accessible Information Standard) and any applicable law or national guidance.

3. Responsible ICB role

The ICB does not have a single role which holds sole responsibility for assuring compliance with the Accessible Information Standard across all providers.

Responsibility is shared across the ICB’s Quality and Nursing and Contract Management/Commissioning functions, according to the nature of the issue and the provider concerned. For FOI purposes, the relevant job-title description can therefore be given as:

Quality and Nursing leads, supported by the relevant Contract Management or Commissioning lead.

In terms of support activity, NHS GM has supported implementation of the Accessible Information Standard through dissemination of guidance, implementation of resources, and the Self-Assessment Framework. Internal awareness activity included sharing briefings and presentations with relevant teams to increase understanding of the refreshed Accessible Information Standard requirements.

Accessible Information Standard considerations have also been incorporated into Equality and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) processes and assurance arrangements.