Holiday Hours & Urgent Notices: A Simple Banner Plan That Prevents Complaints

Holiday hours, staff training afternoons, strikes, flu clinics, severe weather… every time something changes, your phonelines melt and complaints go up. A simple, consistent website banner plan can prevent most of that – and make you look organised, transparent, and patient‑centred.

This guide gives GP practices and healthcare providers a practical, copy‑and‑paste system for website banners and notices, aligned with UK NHS expectations, patient-access standards, and good digital practice.

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Why Banners Matter (And How They Reduce Complaints)

Banners are one of the fastest ways to tell patients “something is different today.”

Done well, banners:

• Set clear expectations before a patient phones or visits
• Direct patients to the right service (111, pharmacy, online consultation, etc.)
• Show you are proactive and organised (good for CQC, PCNs, and complaints reviews)
• Support accessibility and digital inclusion when used with clear, simple language and good contrast

According to the NHS digital service manual, notification banners are ideal for short, time‑limited, important messages that are not part of the usual page content (for example, service disruption, bank holiday closures, or major changes to how to get help).

Your goal: one simple, repeatable process that any staff member can follow.

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What Deserves a Banner vs. a News Post

Think of a banner as an alert and a news post as an article.

Use a banner when:

These are things patients need to see immediately, without hunting:

Changed access today or this week

• Bank holidays and long weekends

• Protected learning time / staff training closures

• Severe weather disruption

• Strikes and industrial action that affect appointments or phonelines

• Urgent or time‑limited campaigns

• Flu and COVID clinics (while actively running)

• Urgent medicine supply issues (e.g. “We cannot issue early prescriptions for X”)

• Important safety or infection control messages (e.g. mask policy changes)

Critical information for all visitors

• “Do not come to the practice if you have…” type infection control alerts
• “Online triage is currently unavailable – phone us if you need help”

Banner test:
If a patient would reasonably complain, “Nobody told me!” when they arrive or call, it probably needs a banner. Use a news post when:

• You are explaining something in more detail:

  • Long explanation of access changes over winter
  • New service launch (e.g. social prescriber, new clinic)
  • Patient participation group updates

• You want a permanent or referenceable item:

  • Annual flu campaign overview
  • New way of ordering prescriptions
  • Practice newsletter

Best practice:

• Use both for important changes:
  • Banner = short headline + link
  • News post = full explanation with FAQs

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Plain-English Templates You Can Copy and Paste

All templates below are written in plain English, aligned with NHS style guidance: short sentences, everyday language, clear actions, and no jargon.

You can adapt the text for banners, homepage tiles, Facebook, and posters.

1. Holiday hours (bank holidays and long weekends)

Short banner – pre‑holiday (from 2 weeks before)

Bank Holiday Opening Hours
We will be closed on [Day, Date] for the bank holiday.
Please order your repeat prescriptions early.
For urgent medical help when we are closed, visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111. Call 999 in a life-threatening emergency. Short banner – on the day

Bank Holiday – Practice Closed Today
We are closed today for the bank holiday.
For urgent medical help, visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111. Call 999 in a life-threatening emergency. Longer news post – holiday hours

Bank Holiday Opening Hours and How to Get Help

We will be closed on [Day, Date] for the bank holiday.

When we are closed

• For urgent medical help (when it is not a 999 emergency), please visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111.
• For life-threatening emergencies, always call 999.
• Local pharmacies can help with minor illnesses and advice.

Repeat prescriptions

• Please request your repeat prescriptions at least [X] working days before [Day, Date].
• This helps us make sure you have the medicines you need over the bank holiday.

Our normal opening hours will resume on [Day, Date].

2. Service disruption (staff training, strikes, severe weather)

Protected learning / staff training afternoon

Staff Training – Limited Service on [Day, Date]
On [Day, Date] from [Time], our practice will be closed for staff training.

Our phonelines and reception will be closed during this time.

For urgent medical help, visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111. Call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

We will reopen as normal at [Time / next working day]. Strikes / industrial action affecting appointments

Important: Appointments During NHS Industrial Action
We are planning to run services as safely as possible during NHS industrial action on [Dates].

• If you have an appointment booked, please attend as normal unless we contact you.
• If we need to change your appointment, we will contact you directly.
• For urgent medical help, visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111. Call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

Thank you for your understanding while the NHS works through this period of disruption.

Severe weather (snow, flooding, heatwave)

Severe Weather – Check Before You Travel
Due to [snow / ice / flooding / extreme heat], there may be disruption to appointments and home visits.

• If it is unsafe for you to travel, please phone us to discuss options.
• We may offer telephone or video appointments instead.
• For urgent medical help, visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111. Call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

We will update this page if anything changes.

3. Flu clinics and seasonal vaccination

Flu clinic campaign – banner

Flu Vaccinations Now Available
We are now inviting eligible patients for a free NHS flu vaccine.

To book your appointment, [book online / phone reception on X / wait for your text invite].

Check if you are eligible on our flu vaccination information page.

Flu clinic – short notice for a specific session

Flu Clinic – [Day, Date]
We are running a flu vaccination clinic on [Day, Date] for eligible patients.

Please [book online / phone us on X] if you have received an invitation.

If you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer your slot to someone else. Full flu campaign – news post

Flu Vaccinations at [Practice Name]

We are now offering NHS flu vaccinations to eligible patients.

Who can have a free NHS flu vaccine?
This usually includes:

• People aged 65 and over
• People with certain long-term conditions
• Pregnant people
• Carers and some household contacts
• Children in specific age groups

Full eligibility is updated every year on the NHS website. If you are unsure, please contact reception.

How to book

• We will send text invitations to eligible patients where possible.
• You can [book online / phone reception on X] to make an appointment.

On the day of your appointment

• Please arrive on time (not early) to help with patient flow.
• Wear loose clothing so we can easily reach your upper arm.

Thank you for helping us protect you and our community this winter.

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When to Publish and When to Expire Banners

Timing is critical. Too early and people ignore it; too late and complaints rise.

General timing rules

Bank holidays

• Publish:

  • Main banner: 2 weeks before the bank holiday
  • Prominent reminder: 3–4 days before
  • Expire:
    • End of the first normal working day back (or by midnight that day) Staff training afternoons

• Publish:
  1–2 weeks before

• Add a stronger reminder 48 hours before if you use social media or SMS

• Expire:

  • At start of normal service next working day Strikes / industrial action

• Publish:

  • As soon as dates are confirmed and local impact is known
  • Update text if national position changes
  • Expire:
    • Morning after the last affected day, once services are back to normal

Severe weather

• Publish:

  • As soon as there is likely disruption today or tomorrow
  • Expire:
    • When disruption has clearly ended and appointments are running as normal Flu clinics / seasonal campaigns

• Publish:

  • Banner from campaign launch, usually late summer / early autumn
  • Expire:
    • When you stop booking routine flu clinics, or when uptake target is reached

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Where to Put Banners So Patients Actually See Them

Placement matters almost as much as wording.

Essential placement on your website

• Top of every page
• A site‑wide banner, ideally directly under the header
• High‑contrast background and large text for visibility and WCAG compliance

Homepage “above the fold”

• A short version or repeating “Important Information” box on the homepage
• Link to a full news post with more detail

Accessibility tips (WCAG‑aligned):

• Ensure sufficient colour contrast between banner background and text
• Do not rely on colour alone; use clear text and, if helpful, an icon
• Avoid flashing / moving banners that can cause distraction or harm
• Make sure banner text is readable with screen readers and in a logical order
• Keep language clear, simple, and structured with headings and bullet points where relevant

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Posting the Same Message in Two More Places

A banner alone is not enough. Many patients never check the website first.

Use a 3‑channel rule for any significant change: Channel 1 – Website banner (plus news post if needed)

• Your single source of truth: the most complete, up‑to‑date message

Channel 2 – Social media (e.g. Facebook)

• Short, friendly posts that link back to the website
• Ideal for rapid updates (weather, strikes, urgent changes)

Example Facebook post (holiday hours):

We will be closed on [Day, Date] for the bank holiday.

Please order your repeat prescriptions early.

For urgent medical help when we are closed, visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111. Call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

Full details on our website: [practice website]. Channel 3 – On-site and offline notices

Waiting room poster / entrance door notice

• Recorded phone message update (for major changes)
• Optional: SMS text to targeted groups (e.g. shielding patients, flu clinic cohorts)

Example waiting room / door poster (short):

Important Practice Notice

We will be closed on [Day, Date] for the bank holiday.

For urgent medical help when we are closed, visit 111.nhs.uk or call NHS 111.

For life-threatening emergencies, call 999.

Our normal opening hours will resume on [Day, Date].

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Tiny Checklist: The “Publish → Facebook → Waiting Room Poster” Routine

Turn this into a one‑page printout near the reception desk or digital lead’s desk.

For every bank holiday / disruption / major clinic:

• Website

• Add or update banner (check wording, dates, and links)

• Create or update news post with full details

• Set start and end dates if your system allows (see ClinicWeb below)

• Social media

• Post short update with clear headline and link to the website

• Pin the post to the top of your page (if supported)

• On-site

• Print waiting room poster

• Put door notice at main entrance if closure is involved

• Update phone message if opening hours are different

• After the event

• Check banner has expired

• Unpin any outdated social posts

• Remove or update posters and door notices

Shortcut version you can paste into your internal procedures:

Holiday & Disruption Notice Checklist

• Publish banner on website
• Create / update news post
• Post on Facebook (or other social media)
• Put up waiting room poster and door notice
• Update phone message (if hours are different)
• After the event: remove banner, unpin social post, take down posters

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ClinicWeb: “We’ll Do It for You” Scheduling and Expiry

If you use ClinicWeb, you do not have to remember to turn banners on and off manually.

ClinicWeb banner automation

• Schedule in advance

• Add your bank holidays and training dates at the start of the year

• Upload wording once; set start date and time (for example, 2 weeks before)

• Automatic expiry

• Set the expiry date and time (for example, first normal working day back at 18:00)

• ClinicWeb automatically removes the banner and hides the notice

• Templates and reuse

Save standard templates:

• Bank holiday closure

  • Staff training afternoon
  • Flu clinics
  • Severe weather disruption

• Each year, simply update the dates and re‑schedule

• Multi‑channel prompts Use ClinicWeb as your master schedule**, listing:**

• When the website banner goes live

  • When to post the social media update
  • When to print or update posters and door notices

This reduces:

• Missed expiries (no more “Christmas hours” banner in February)
• Staff time spent chasing who updates what
• Risk of conflicting information across channels

If you regularly forget to update notices, nominating a “digital notices lead” and letting ClinicWeb handle timing is a simple, low‑stress fix.

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A Simple Year-Round Notice Plan for Practices

You can manage most banner‑worthy situations with a basic annual plan. At the start of each financial year:

• List all known bank holidays and local staff training afternoons
• Decide standard wording (using templates above)
• Add them into ClinicWeb or your website CMS with:
  • Start date
  • Expiry date
  • Link to relevant news post

Each season:

• Autumn / winter
• Launch flu campaign banner and news post
• Prepare severe weather wording in case of snow or flooding

During known NHS pressure periods

• Consider banners that explain appropriate use of A&E, 111, and pharmacies
• Keep wording supportive, not blaming patients

When something unexpected happens:

• Use your “disruption” template as a base
• Update:
  • What is affected
  • What patients should do instead
  • How long it is likely to last
  • Publish on the three channels (banner, social media, posters)
  • Review and update at least daily until resolved

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Key Takeaways

• Use banners for urgent, time‑limited, whole‑practice changes (hours, access, disruption, urgent campaigns).
• Pair banners with a news post when more explanation is needed.
• Keep wording short, plain English, and action‑focused: what is happening, when, and what the patient should do.
• Always communicate the same message in at least three places: website, social media, and waiting room / door.
• Plan your whole year’s key notices in advance and use tools like ClinicWeb to schedule and expire them automatically.
• Follow accessibility (WCAG) principles: clear contrast, readable text, no flashing animations, and simple language.

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Next Steps

To put this into practice in your GP practice or healthcare organisation:

1. Create your standard templates

   • Adapt the bank holiday, disruption, and flu clinic templates in this guide
   • Save them in a shared folder or practice protocol document

2. Set up your annual notice calendar

   • Add all bank holidays, known training afternoons, and major campaigns
   • Decide when each banner should go live and expire

3. Configure ClinicWeb (if you use it)

   • Add notices with start and end dates
   • Save the templates to reuse next year
   • Nominate a staff member to be your digital notices lead

4. Train your team

   • Show reception and admin staff the tiny checklist:
     • Publish → Facebook → Waiting room poster
   • Make sure at least two people know how to update banners in case of sickness or leave

5. Review after the next event

   • After your next bank holiday or disruption, quickly review:
     • Did patients know what was happening?
     • Did complaints fall?
     • Did all channels match?
   • Tweak your wording or timing based on real feedback.

With a simple, consistent banner plan in place – supported by tools like ClinicWeb – you can keep patients informed, support NHS access guidance, reduce complaints, and free up staff time for care instead of crisis communication.