Patient information from Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has been accredited with a nationally-renowned standard, ensuring patients will only receive leaflets, letters and other information that is helpful, reliable and easy-to-understand.

Awarded to the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust – which covers Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital and Solihull Hospital – by Capita, the Information Standard is an independent certification programme commissioned by NHS England. It is a recognised quality mark symbolizing to the public that the information provided by the Trust is trustworthy, accessible and up-to-date.

Yvonne Mason, patient information manager at the Trust, said: “A survey from the Department of Health found that 75 per cent of people find it difficult to know whether patient information is trustworthy, which is no surprise given that around 50,000 organisations provide health and social care information – through letters, leaflets and other forms of communication – in the UK.

“This is the fourth year running we have gained the Information Standard. It guarantees that patients can be assured that the information they are receiving is clear, informative and well-designed. For example, when a patient is about to undergo an operation, they will receive individualised information from the relevant department telling them about what to expect, the recovery period and any other relevant details. Gaining this accreditation offers peace of mind to patients, who can feel safe in the knowledge that the information we provide is of a suitably high standard, and any personal details included remain secure and confidential.”