HIQA Publishes National Guidance on Good Communication and Plain Language in Health and Social Care

HIQA has released national guidance supporting the use of plain language in health and social care. Developed with key stakeholders including NALA, the guidance focuses on health literacy, digital communication and human-rights based care, aiming to improve safety, understanding and person-centred decision-making.

4 December 2025: HIQA has today published National guidance on good communication in health and social care: using plain language to support high quality, safe, person-centred care in health and social care services.

This guidance is designed to support health and social care staff to use plain language in all communication with people using services. Plain language helps ensure that everyone receives information in a way that is clear, accessible and easy to understand.