Reasonable adjustments in healthcare

Small changes that make care accessible

Reasonable adjustments remove the barriers disabled people can face when using health services. This is a plain-English guide to what they are, your rights, and how to ask for and share them.

Record yours in a passport

What are reasonable adjustments?

Reasonable adjustments are changes — often small — to the way care is provided, so that a disability does not make it harder for someone to get the same care as anyone else.

Your rights: the Equality Act 2010

Under the Equality Act 2010, health and care services have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments. This applies to anyone with a physical or sensory disability, a learning disability, autism, a mental health condition, or a long-term condition such as dementia.

You do not have to have a diagnosis to ask. If something about how care is delivered makes it harder for you, you can ask for a change.

Examples of reasonable adjustments

Adjustments are personal to you. Common examples include:

Before and during appointments

  • The first or last appointment of the day
  • A longer or double appointment
  • A quiet or separate waiting area
  • Easy-read or large-print letters

Communication and support

  • A BSL interpreter or hearing loop
  • Extra time and clear, simple explanations
  • A familiar person or carer present
  • A hospital passport shared with the team

How to ask for reasonable adjustments

1. Write them down

Note what helps you, so it is ready to share and you do not have to explain it each time.

2. Ask when you book

Say "I need reasonable adjustments" when making an appointment, and again when you arrive.

3. Ask to be recorded and flagged

Ask for your adjustments to be added to your record. The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag shares them across NHS services.

4. Share a passport

A hospital passport keeps your adjustments visible to every team you see.

Record and share your adjustments with Know Me

Capture your reasonable adjustments once, then share the same one-page summary with any care team.

Create your passport What is a health passport?