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Readers’ panel 

Join the NHS Essex Readers’ Panel and help make our letters, leaflets and website content clearer, more accessible and easier to understand.

Help improve NHS information in Essex

Do you want to help make NHS information clearer and easier to understand for people across Essex?

At NHS Essex, we listen to residents, patients and carers. One of the ways we do this is through our Readers’ Panel. Panel members review draft information and help us make sure our content is clear, accessible and written in plain English.

People across Essex have different communication needs. For example, some people live with sensory impairments, some use assistive technology, and others may not speak English as their first language. By asking local people to review our drafts before publication, we can make sure our letters, policies and web pages are inclusive and easy to understand.

You do not need any previous experience or specialist knowledge to join. We simply ask you to share honest feedback on:

  • The content and wording
  • The layout and structure
  • How easy it is to read and understand
  • Whether it achieves its intended purpose

Some documents may take longer to review than others. However, we will always give you enough time to respond.

What kinds of documents will I review?

As a member of the Readers’ Panel, you may review:

  • Letters to patients or the public
  • Policies, plans and strategies
  • Guidance and patient information
  • Website content
  • Digital content such as videos

How to join the NHS Essex Readers’ Panel

If you would like to join the NHS Essex Readers’ Panel or find out more, please contact the Communications and Engagement team.

When you contact us, please tell us if you have any particular interests, experience or areas of focus. This helps us share relevant content with you to review.

Frequently asked questions

A Readers’ Panel is a group of volunteers who review draft documents before publication. These may include reports, leaflets, letters or website content.

We treat all feedback confidentially and handle personal data in line with the Data Protection Act 2018. NHS Essex will only use your details to manage the Readers’ Panel and will not share them outside the organisation.

Panel members receive draft documents and provide feedback on how clear and easy they are to understand.

When reviewing a document, you might consider:

  • Does it make sense?
  • Is it clearly presented?
  • Is anything confusing or unclear?
  • Does it achieve its purpose?
  • How could it be improved?

We also welcome suggestions on tone, style and accessibility.

We usually send documents by email because this is quicker and more environmentally friendly. However, we can send documents by post if you prefer.

We aim to send no more than three documents each month. However, there may be some months when there is nothing to review.

We will always give you enough time to read the document and share your feedback.

After you send your feedback, we review your comments carefully and make changes where appropriate. Where possible, we will share updated versions with the panel before publication. Otherwise, we will send you the final version so you can see how your feedback helped improve the document.

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