Background An Easy Read document uses simple language and images to make information clear and accessible for everyone, including those with learning difficulties. We could not find any examples of Easy Read guides for a hospice and felt that the lack of more accessible information was a barrier to people with learning disabilities. In 2022 we set out to create an Easy Read guide about our hospice and services.

Aims Our aim was to create an online and printed visual guide employing Easy Read communication principles to share with carers and potential service users with learning disabilities to help to: allay fears; lessen misunderstandings; prepare potentially vulnerable service users for hospice care.

Method A cross-organisational working group, including two members with extensive professional and personal experience in supporting individuals with learning disabilities, met to create the guide. Principles of Easy Read were studied and adopted (NHS England. Guide to making information accessible for people with a learning disability [internet]. 2018; Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities. Easy Read [internet]. 2016). Incorporating user voice was important; two colleagues ran a focus group (NHS England. Guide 09: A bite-size guide to running focus groups for patient and public engagement. [internet]. 2016) with 7 adults at a learning disabilities day centre to gain their feedback at draft stage, giving consideration to their practical and emotional needs prior and throughout the process. Feedback was incredibly valuable and incorporated into a final Easy Read guide which is available on our website (https://www.pah.org.uk/our-care/) and in printed form.

Results The guide has received positive feedback from colleagues: Our Associate Director, Patient Care and Communities, says: ‘The easy read booklet is great when we’re visiting people in their homes, we’ve found it an excellent way to start the conversation about hospice care and what that looks like.’

Conclusion Valuable insights for producing similar Easy Read literature in the future were generated. The guide has created wider interest around introducing Easy Read and Plain English principles across more of our hospice literature, as we work to champion equity of access to our care.