This accessibility statement applies to https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot.
This website is run and managed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland in collaboration with NHS National Services Scotland.
Using this website
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. You should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings
- zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (using the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
- access the website using a mobile device.
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
Parts of this website are not fully accessible. For example:
- some non-HTML formats are impacted upon by the issues listed in the non-accessible content section below
- some documents are in PDF and other non-HTML formats and are not accessible
Feedback and contact information
Tell us if you need information in a different format
In your message, include:
- the web address (URL) of the content
- your email address and name
- the format you need – for example, plain text, braille, BSL, large print or audio format
You can also request a PDF and other file types in accessible format
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
If you find any problems that aren’t listed on this page or think we’re not meeting the requirements of the accessibility regulations, contact us at his.online@nhs.scot
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’).
If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
Healthcare Improvement Scotland is committed to making this website accessible in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 (WCAG) AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
- The page title is missing within the settings of many of our PDF documents. This makes it difficult for a screen reader to identify sections. The WCAG reference is 2.4.2
- The language option is missing within the settings of many of our PDF documents. This means the default human language of each pdf cannot be programmatically determined. The WCAG reference is 3.1.1
- Many of our pdf document have elements that are not correctly tagged. This means information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation cannot be programmatically determined or are not available in text. The WCAG reference is 1.3.1
Where we find any further WCAG violations in our online pdf documents, we will add them to this list.
We are working to make sure all our pdf content is fully accessible. We commit to only having accessible pdf’s available on our website by 31 March 2026.
Some documents are in non-HTML formats, for example PDF. These may not be accessible in several ways including missing text alternatives and missing document structure and we commit to provide an accessible alternative if requested and where possible.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they’re not essential to providing our services.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We are working alongside colleagues in our Equality and Diversity team and our Accessibility Working Group, as well as colleagues at NHS National Services Scotland and other agencies to address and fix content which fails to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
- The original statement for this website was prepared on 16 February 2024. It was last revised on 27 January 2025.
- On 31 October 2024 this website was tested via a representative sample of pages by a Government Digital Services (GDS) audit. In November and December 2024, the HTML issues highlighted were addressed.
- The site was last tested in December 2024 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. This tested a representative sample of HTML pages and was carried out by internal staff when preparing this accessibility statement. A representative sample of pages from the website was examined using a combination of semi-automatic evaluation tools and manual evaluation in detail. A selection of browser and access software was used, such as: Tools: WAVE, colour contrast, accessibility, and developer toolbar Browsers used to support the audit: Chrome and Safari Assistive Technology: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver Browsers used to support assistive technology software: Chrome for JAWS, Safari for VoiceOver, NVDA for Firefox.