Dental Website Accessibility, Minus the Jargon: Designs Patients Actually Use

Accessible websites are not a “nice to have” add-on for UK healthcare providers – they are now a legal, clinical safety and patient experience essential. For GP practices and dental or community services, a more accessible site directly reduces phone pressure, missed appointments and patient complaints.

This guide strips out the jargon and focuses on what real patients need, how to meet UK requirements such as the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations and WCAG, and how to spot-check your own site in 15 minutes.

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Why Accessibility Matters for GP and Dental Websites

Accessible design is about removing barriers so patients can self-serve safely and confidently, no matter their age, device or disability.

For UK healthcare providers, this is especially important because:

• NHS and most GP practice sites must meet the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018, which require compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA.
• NHS guidance (including the NHS service manual and content style guide) expects plain language, clear layouts and inclusive design.
• Patients increasingly rely on digital services for registration, repeat prescriptions, dental check-ups, triage, and self-care. If your site fails them, they turn to phone lines, walk-ins, or simply disengage.

An accessible site is usually a simpler, faster site for everyone – including busy parents on mobiles, older patients, and people with limited data or poor connectivity.

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What Real Patients Struggle With

Most accessibility issues are not “edge cases” – they are everyday frustrations you likely hear on the phone.

Common real-world problems

• “I can’t read the text – it’s too small / too pale.”

• “I got halfway through the form and it wiped everything.”

• “I don’t know which button to press to book.”

• “I clicked the wrong practice / wrong appointment time by mistake.”

• “I use a screen reader and your menu just goes round in circles.” High‑risk page types

• Registration and medical history forms

• Appointment booking, cancellation and change pages

• Triage or eConsult/online consultation journeys

• Dental treatment price lists and banding information

• Emergency and “what to do out of hours” pages

• Accessibility statements and complaints/feedback routes

If a visually impaired or anxious patient cannot complete these independently, your practice is effectively less accessible – even if your building has ramps and hearing loops.

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Readability Before Decoration

Readability is the foundation of accessibility. Before colour palettes, sliders or animations, you need content that patients can clearly see and understand.

Make text genuinely easy to read

Font size and line spacing

• Aim for a base font size equivalent to at least 16px on body text.

• Use generous line spacing (about 1.5) and avoid dense blocks of text.

• Keep line lengths moderate – on desktop, aim for roughly 45–90 characters per line. Contrast and colour

• Ensure strong contrast between text and background, especially on key pages like forms and emergency information.

• Dark text on a light background usually works best for long paragraphs.

• Never use colour alone to convey meaning (e.g. “press the green button to continue”); pair colour with clear labels or icons.

Plain language, NHS style

Follow NHS content and readability principles:

• Use everyday words: “GP”, “dentist”, “check-up”, “fillings” instead of jargon.
• Explain any necessary clinical or dental terms in plain English.
• Keep sentences short – ideally under 20 words where possible.
• Use headings and bullet lists to break up information.
• Put the most important information first (e.g. “If you have chest pain, call 999” before background information). Examples

Instead of:

• “Utilise the online portal to initiate a consultation request.”

Use:

• “Use our online form to request an appointment.”

Instead of:

• “We are currently experiencing unprecedented demand.”

Use:

• “We are very busy at the moment. It may take longer than usual to get an appointment.”

Layouts that support older and disabled users

Clear visual hierarchy

• One main heading per page (e.g. “Book a GP appointment”), then logical subheadings.

• Group related information together: for example, “Same-day help”, “Routine appointments”, “Nurse and HCA appointments” on one page. Avoid visual clutter

• Limit the number of fonts to one or two.

• Use images and icons sparingly and only when they genuinely help understanding.

• Avoid moving banners, auto-rotating carousels and flashing content – they can be confusing and can also be problematic for some users with cognitive or neurological conditions.

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Form Guidance & Reassurance

Online forms are often the most stressful part of a healthcare website. A patient may be in pain, worried about money, or anxious about disclosing sensitive information. Good accessibility is about guiding and reassuring them every step of the way.

Essentials of accessible healthcare forms

Tell people what to expect

• Start with a brief introduction: what the form is for, who should use it, how long it takes, and what happens after submission.

• For example: “Use this form for non-urgent GP appointments. It usually takes 5–10 minutes to complete. We will review your request and contact you within 2 working days.” Label every field clearly

• Place labels above the fields, not inside them as placeholder-only text.

• Use familiar wording: “First name”, “Last name”, “Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY)”.

• If information is optional, clearly state “(optional)” in the label.

Explain why you ask for sensitive data

This builds trust and can improve completion rates.

• “We ask about your ethnic background so we can provide better care to all groups. You do not have to answer this question.” Helpful error messages

Error handling is where many forms fail accessibility tests and frustrate patients.

• Highlight specific fields with errors and explain in plain language what went wrong.
• Keep information already entered – never wipe the whole form.
• Place an error summary at the top of the page (“There is a problem”) and list each error with a link back to the relevant field.

Good error messages:

• “Enter your date of birth in this format: DD/MM/YYYY.”
• “Select at least one way we can contact you (phone, text or email).”

Confirmation and reassurance

At the end of a form:

• Show a clear confirmation message on a new page.
• Summarise what will happen next and typical timeframes.
• Offer alternative channels for urgent issues (“If you need urgent help, do not wait for a reply from this form. Call 111 or 999 in an emergency.”).
• Consider sending an accessible confirmation email or SMS with the same key information.

Support for different access needs

To support users with visual, motor or cognitive impairments, make sure your forms:

• Can be completed entirely with a keyboard (tabbing through all fields and buttons).
• Have visible focus outlines, so keyboard users can see where they are.
• Work well on mobile, with large tap targets and straightforward layouts.
• Are compatible with screen readers (proper HTML form labels and clear, linear order).

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Keyboard Access: Let Patients Navigate Without a Mouse

Keyboard accessibility is a core WCAG requirement and a common failure point for healthcare websites. Keyboard access basics

• Every interactive element (links, buttons, menus, form fields, “Book now” components) must be reachable with the Tab key.
• The order of focus must follow the visual order – top to bottom, left to right.
• There must be a clear visible focus state (e.g. a blue outline) around the currently selected item.
• Keyboard users must be able to open and close menus, accordions and pop-ups using the keyboard alone (Space/Enter and Esc keys).

Skip links

A simple but powerful feature:

• Add a “Skip to main content” link that appears when users press Tab from the top of the page.
• This allows screen reader and keyboard users to bypass repeated menus and get straight to the important content.

If patients must use a mouse to access key services, your site will be difficult or impossible to use for patients with motor impairments, tremors, or some long-term neurological conditions.

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Accessible Components by Default

Designing and building accessible components from the start is far easier – and cheaper – than fixing each page later. For GP and dental websites, this often means using a tested design system and applying it consistently.

Work with or emulate proven NHS patterns

The NHS service manual provides accessible design patterns and components for:

• Navigation, headers and footers
• Buttons and links
• Forms and error messages
• Accordions and tabs
• Warning and success messages

Even if you are not part of the national NHS website platform, asking your developer or supplier to follow these patterns will bring your site much closer to WCAG 2.1 AA with less bespoke work.

Core components to standardise

Navigation and menus

• Use a simple, consistent top navigation.
• Ensure all menu items are keyboard accessible and readable on mobile.
• Avoid complicated mega-menus unless absolutely necessary; if you use them, test them thoroughly with keyboard and screen readers.

Buttons and links

• Make buttons large with plenty of padding, especially on mobile.

• Use clear action words: “Book a GP appointment”, “Register as a new patient”, “Request a repeat prescription”.

• Ensure link text makes sense out of context: avoid “Click here” and “Read more”; use “Read about NHS dental charges” instead. Alerts and banners

• Use consistent colours and icons for warnings, success messages and informational banners.

• Add descriptive text that explains the situation (“Our phone lines are currently very busy. For non-urgent issues, please use our online consultation form.”).

Documents and downloads

Many UK practices still rely heavily on PDFs (e.g. medical forms, practice policies). Accessibility regulations expect HTML content wherever possible.

• Publish information as web pages first (HTML), not just PDF.
• Where you must use PDFs, ensure they are accessible (proper headings, tagged content, readable text rather than scanned images).
• Clearly label file types and sizes (“Practice leaflet (PDF, 350KB)”).

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The 15‑Minute Accessibility Spot‑Check for Practice Owners

You do not need to be a developer to identify obvious accessibility issues. Use this quick, non-technical check each month, focusing on critical patient journeys.

1. Choose your test pages (2 minutes)

Pick at least:

• Home page
• Book an appointment
• Register as a new patient / dental registration
• Contact us / surgery hours / emergency dental page
• A key information page (e.g. “NHS dental charges”, “Chronic disease reviews”, “Flu and COVID vaccination”)

2. Basic readability check (4 minutes)

View each page on a desktop or laptop and on your mobile.

Look for:

• Text size: Can you comfortably read it at arm’s length?
• Contrast: Is any text pale grey on white, or text over images? If so, ask for higher contrast.
• Plain language: Could a 12–13-year-old roughly understand it? Rewrite any long, complex sentences.
• Headings and structure: Is the main point clear within a few seconds?

If you struggle as a healthy, rested adult, a tired or distressed patient will struggle more.

3. Keyboard-only navigation test (4 minutes)

Put your mouse aside.

• Press Tab on your keyboard from the top of the page.
• Check if a “Skip to main content” link appears; if not, note this as an improvement.
• Keep pressing Tab: make sure you can reach every link, button and form field in a logical order.
• Confirm you can see a visible outline around focused items.
• Try to complete a key form (e.g. appointment request) using only Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter and Space.

If you get “stuck” or cannot submit the form, this is a high-priority issue for your web supplier.

4. Quick forms and error check (3 minutes)

On a test form:

• Intentionally submit it with one or two fields left blank or incorrectly formatted.
• Check whether:
  • You see a clear error summary at the top.
  • Problem fields are highlighted and explained in plain English.
  • Your other answers are still in place.

Then complete and submit correctly:

• Confirm you see a clear confirmation page with information about what happens next.
• If you receive a confirmation email/SMS, skim it to check clarity and tone.

5. Mobile experience snapshot (2 minutes)

On your phone:

• Open the home page and a key form.
• Check:
  • Can you zoom in and still read everything easily?
  • Are buttons and links large enough to tap without zooming a lot?
  • Is any content cut off or pushed into awkward horizontal scrolling?

Note down issues and share them with your website provider as specific change requests.

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Ongoing Checks: A Simple Monthly Routine

Accessibility is not a “one and done” project. Content changes, third-party tools update, and browsers evolve. UK regulations and NHS guidance expect ongoing attention and reasonable adjustments.

A light-touch monthly checklist

Content and layout

• Review recently added pages or news items for readability and plain language.
• Remove or update out-of-date content that might mislead patients (e.g. old COVID rules, changed opening hours).

Critical journeys

• Test your main appointment, registration and contact journeys briefly on desktop and mobile.

• Make sure any links to external services (eConsult, video consultations, NHS App, dental portals) still work and are clearly explained. Non-HTML content

• Check any newly uploaded PDFs or Word documents.

• Where possible, convert key information into web pages and keep documents as downloadable backups only.

Feedback

• Monitor patient feedback channels, including complaints, PPG input and staff observations from reception.
• Treat any “I couldn’t use the website” comment as a prompt to investigate accessibility, not just usability.

Annual or biannual deeper checks

At least once a year, or when you launch a new site or major redesign:

• Commission an accessibility review against WCAG 2.1 AA (or WCAG 2.2 AA where possible).
• Include testing with assistive technologies such as screen readers and voice control.
• Update your accessibility statement, as recommended across the NHS, to explain:
  • Where the site meets or does not fully meet standards.
  • Any known issues and planned fixes.
  • How patients can request information in a different format (for example, large print, easy read, audio, or braille).

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UK Regulatory and NHS Context (In Plain English)

You do not need to memorise the legal text, but you should understand the basics. Key points for UK GP practices and NHS providers

• The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 require most NHS and GP websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.
• Sites must publish an accessibility statement outlining compliance, known issues and how patients can get alternatives.
• NHS bodies are expected to follow the NHS service manual for design and the NHS content style guide for language.
• Equality and accessibility are also core parts of CQC’s view of person-centred care and reducing health inequalities.

What “WCAG 2.1 AA” really means for you

WCAG is built around four principles:

• Perceivable – Patients can see or hear your content (e.g. clear text, alt text for images, captions for videos).
• Operable – They can use the site with different input methods, including keyboard-only.
• Understandable – Content and navigation make sense; forms help people avoid and correct mistakes.
• Robust – The site works with modern and future assistive technologies, through good underlying code.

You do not need to quote success criteria – but you do need to work with suppliers who understand them and can provide evidence of compliance.

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Key Takeaways for Practice Owners and Managers

Focus on things that matter most to patients

• Clear, readable text and strong contrast.

• Simple, predictable navigation.

• Safe, reassuring forms with helpful error messages.

• Reliable mobile experience. Make accessibility part of everyday governance

• Add a 15-minute spot-check to your monthly practice or management meeting.

• Log issues and track fixes like you would for clinical safety incidents.

• Involve reception and PPG members – they often spot real-world barriers first.

Work with suppliers who understand NHS and UK obligations

• Ask for written confirmation that your site meets WCAG 2.1 AA and how they test it.
• Request that components follow the NHS service manual patterns where appropriate.
• Ensure any new tools (online triage, chatbots, video consultation systems) are assessed for accessibility before rollout.

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Conclusion and Next Steps

Accessible dental and GP websites are not about complex jargon or ticking legal boxes; they are about making it possible for every patient to get the care they need, without having to fight your website first.

If you only do three things after reading this:

• Improve readability
• Increase base font size if needed.
• Fix low-contrast text.
• Rewrite key pages (appointments, contact, emergencies, dental charges) in clear, plain English.

Fix critical form and keyboard issues

• Run the 15-minute spot-check on your main appointment and registration forms.
• Log any failures to complete them with a keyboard alone, or confusing / missing error messages, and send a clear list to your web supplier.

Embed regular accessibility checks

• Schedule a simple monthly review and an annual or biannual expert audit.
• Keep your accessibility statement and alternative format offer up to date.

By prioritising readable text, high contrast, keyboard access, and clear forms and error messages, your practice will not only move closer to WCAG and UK regulatory expectations – you will also create a calmer, more trustworthy digital front door for the patients who rely on you most.