Accessibility checklist for GP surgeries

Advice and Information - 24 March 2022

Help make sure that your practice meets patients' accessibility requirements by using this quick checklist.

Imagine that you are going through the same journey as your patients – what would help ensure that your care needs are met?

While budget and space are often issues when making large scale changes, there are some steps that surgeries can take to improve the experience patients have.

Although this checklist does not cover every aspect of accessibility good practice, it provides a starting point for discussion and planning to make improvements.

I couldn’t enter the consulting room to speak to my GP as I couldn’t get my wheelchair through the door so I had to have my consultation with the GP with me sitting outside in the corridor.

- a patient story from Slough

Things to consider

Outside space

Is there disabled parking?
Is there enough space for a disabled person to exit a car safely?
Is the path to the surgery accessible to people with limited mobility or sensory impairment?
Are handrails placed on both sides of slopes leading to an entrance door?
Is the route from the entrance into the surgery free of obstacles?
What size is the entrance, is it suitable for wheelchair access?

Toilets

Are any signs for disabled toilets at eye level?
Is there enough leg space under the sink?
Are sink taps levers?
Is there a caution sign for very hot water?
Are paper and soap dispensers, as well as hand dryers at a suitable height?
What size is the entrance, is it suitable for wheelchair access?
Do you have a procedure to follow when someone falls?

Seating, signs and fire exits

Is seating available in a choice of heights?
Are the fire exits accessible by wheelchair?
Is there LED signage/clear microphone for signaling patients?

Communication

When new patients register with your service, do you ask if they have any communication needs, and how these needs can be met?
Is there a hearing loop?
Is information available in different formats, such as large print or braille?
Is the counter height accessible to wheelchairs?
Is there a quiet space and buzzer system for people who may experience sensory overload?
Do you publicise to patients that a quiet space can be given upon request?
Find out more about the Accessible Information Standard and how you can meet those requirements here

Talk to Healthwatch Bradford and District

If you have come up against accessibility barriers with your local GP and struggled to resolve them, get in touch with your local Healthwatch.

Download the full checklist

Do you work in a GP surgery? Take a moment to assess your GP practice for accessibility.

Download (PDF 150 KB)

* Article based on GP accessibility checklist from Healthwatch Slough and recommendations from our accessible information campaign

Do health and social care services know what you really think?

Share your ideas and experiences and help services hear what works, what doesn’t, and what you want from care in the future.

Share your views

Sarah - Chair of the Board of Trustees

As the Chair of the board of trustees, I work with the other trustees and staff to help set the strategic direction of Healthwatch Bradford and District. We meet regularly to look at finance reports, agree the budget, get updates on the work of the staff team and make any decisions that are important to ensure the charity is as strong and effective as possible. We also work closely with the senior staff team to make sure they have the support they need. I previously managed Healthwatch Bradford and District, and I’m passionate about ensuring our local community has a strong voice in the local NHS. I know from personal experience, as both a patient and a carer, that the NHS can be confusing and it can be hard to have your voice heard. We are a diverse and brilliant community, and it’s vital that every part of it has the chance to speak up and help shape our care.

Outside of my role, I’ve got two young children so I’m often busy with them, but I also love yoga and walking in the woods and moors around the District.

I think Healthwatch Bradford and District does a vital job hearing from people across the District, sharing their experiences and views with the NHS, and helping the health and care system better understand the community. I love that I can support this, and I really enjoy getting to work with the fantastic team.

Emma - member of the Board of Trustees

"Healthwatch Bradford and District plays a vital role in making sure every person’s voice is valued, respected, and used to drive meaningful change across our local health and care systems."

I’ve always been driven by a deep belief that people deserve to be heard when it comes to their health, wellbeing, and social care. That belief has shaped my entire career and I’ve spent my life working across health and social care. I have spent time in emergency departments, on hospital wards, within social care services, and alongside community groups where I’ve witnessed extraordinary dedication across our system, but I’ve also seen where things fall short. Those experiences have strengthened my conviction that listening to people’s real stories is the key to creating better, fairer, and more responsive services.

As a Trustee of Healthwatch Bradford and District, I’m proud to help ensure that this principle sits at the heart of everything we do. My role involves supporting the leadership team with strategic decisions, guiding our communications, and helping to shape the organisation’s public presence so that the Bradford and district community knows we are here to champion what matters to them.

Outside of work, life is full and joyful. I have a large, lively family, I foster dogs (which brings chaos and love into the house), and I find calm and creativity through crochet.

Jo - member of the Board of Trustees

“I’m committed to making sure every voice, especially those often overlooked, shapes the future of our local health and care services.”

Alongside my work as an Aviation Ops Co‑ordinator, I serve as a trustee where my role is to read, question, and challenge. I bring real‑life experience into board decisions, always trying to make sure services and strategies work for the people they’re meant to help. Because I commute between cities for my job, I get to see how health services operate in different parts of the country. That wider perspective really influences my understanding of services, especially when I see how differently things can be done in other areas of the UK.

I have a particular interest in children’s services, the elderly, and vulnerable communities as I feel these people have seldom heard voices and need to be supported within healthcare services. As a Healthwatch board member, I champion the voice of local people in health and social care. I use lived experience, community insight, and independent challenge to influence decisions, improve services, and ensure people are heard. I’m driven by a belief that everyone deserves safe, fair, and accessible care, and that real change happens when the public voice is at the table and taken seriously.

I’m also currently studying a diploma in Aesthetics. When I’m qualified, I hope to be able to help people with cleft palates or other facial issues or scarring. It’s important to me to support people who might otherwise struggle to access the help they need. I really agree with the sentiment that the health and care system works best when it truly listens to the people it serves.

Accessibility checklist for GP surgeries