Homepage Task Time: How Many Taps to Prescriptions, Appointments & Results?

Modern GP websites are not online brochures; they are front doors to care. If a patient on a mobile phone cannot reach repeat prescriptions, appointments, and test results in under 10 seconds and 3 taps, your homepage is failing its core job and pushing people back to the phones.

This article explains how to measure your own “homepage task time”, what good looks like, and how to redesign your homepage so the three non‑negotiable tasks are always just a couple of taps away.

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Why Homepage Task Time Matters for GP Practices

Your website is now your “front door”

NHS England’s GP website guidance and the national GP Website Improvement Programme are clear: GP websites must offer simple, fast, self‑service access to key tasks and meet legal accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA or better). They are no longer optional add‑ons; they are a core access channel.

A usable homepage:

• Lets patients complete common tasks without phoning the practice
• Reduces avoidable calls and reception pressure
• Improves equity for patients with lower digital confidence or additional access needs

When the online journey is confusing, patients:

• Give up and call the surgery
• Turn up in person for tasks that could have been done online
• Lose trust in online channels and stop using them Homepage task time is a simple way to test whether your site is genuinely supporting access or just “digital decoration”.

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The Three Non‑Negotiables: Tasks Your Homepage Must Serve First

On a mobile phone, above the fold (the part of the screen visible before scrolling), your homepage must prioritise three non‑negotiable patient tasks. Core Task 1: Appointments

Patients need to see, immediately:

• How to request an appointment or medical help online (e.g. online consultation, NHS App, practice form)
• How to phone for urgent problems
• Clear signposting for different needs (urgent, routine, admin)

These are also highlighted in NHS usability guidance as key online journeys that must be obvious and simple.

Core Task 2: Repeat Prescriptions

For most practices, repeat prescriptions account for a huge volume of contacts. Online requests should be the default:

• Clear link or button to “Order a repeat prescription”
• Direct route to your chosen method (NHS App, online form, or other approved service)
• Short supporting copy explaining that this is the fastest way to request medication

National guidance on improving GP websites includes “ordering prescriptions” in the list of priority tasks that must be visible from the homepage and menu on mobile devices.

Core Task 3: Test Results

Patients should not have to hunt through medical jargon or documents to know how to get results:

• Clear entry point for “View or request your test results”
• Explanation of how results are communicated and when to contact the practice
• If using online record access (e.g. via the NHS App), a direct link and a brief explanation

NHS improvement resources specifically include “getting test results” among the standard tasks patients must be able to complete easily via the practice website.

These three non‑negotiables should be where your homepage design starts, not what is squeezed in after banners, sliders and news.

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Setting Your Target: ≤10 Seconds and ≤3 Taps

What “good” looks like on mobile

For each of the three core tasks, a typical patient should be able to:

• Start from a fresh mobile browser on your homepage
• Identify the right link or button without scrolling if possible
• Reach the correct page, form, or NHS App entry point in:
  • 10 seconds or less, and
  • 3 taps or fewer

For example:

• Tap 1: Open practice homepage
• Tap 2: Tap “Order a repeat prescription” task card
• Tap 3: Tap “Order via NHS App” (or the embedded form)

This is not just a nice‑to‑have. In a busy environment, patients:

• Are often distracted or under stress
• May be using older phones, small screens, or mobile data
• May have lower literacy or be using English as a second language

A simple, shallow journey is essential for accessibility and aligns with NHS expectations for highly usable, mobile‑first online journeys.

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How to Measure Homepage Task Time (Stopwatch + Taps)

The basic test you should run every week

Run this as if you were a patient:

• Use a mobile phone, not a desktop

• Start from a fresh browser (no bookmarked pages)

• Have a stopwatch ready (your phone or a separate device)

• Begin on your homepage, fully loaded For each task (appointments, prescriptions, results):

• Press start on the stopwatch as soon as the homepage is visible

• Count each tap on the screen that moves you towards the task

• Stop timing when:

  • You reach the online consultation or appointment request route, or
  • You reach the repeat prescription request form or NHS App link, or
  • You reach the page or link that genuinely allows you to view or request test results

Record:

• Total time in seconds
• Total number of taps
• Any points where you hesitated or were unsure

Run the test with:

• Someone who works in the practice
• Someone who does not (friend or PPG member)
• A person with screen‑reader or large‑text settings if possible

This simple test often reveals:

• Key tasks hidden under vague labels like “Online Services” or “Patient Hub”
• Important buttons pushed below the fold by large banners or image sliders
• Confusing duplication (multiple “appointments” links going to different places)

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Make It a Habit: Repeat Weekly and After Any Change

Why “once a year” is not enough

NHS guidance recommends regular review of homepage content to keep it fresh, relevant and working. In practice, many sites are updated ad‑hoc, and over time:

• New announcements push key tasks down the page
• New plugins add banners or pop‑ups
• Seasonal messages clutter the top of the homepage

To prevent “homepage creep”, build weekly testing into your routine. Weekly homepage task check

• Pick a 10‑minute slot each week
• Run the three task tests on a mobile
• Note:
  • Time and taps
  • Any broken or confusing links
  • Anything that has moved below the fold

Pass criteria

• Each task consistently at ≤10 seconds and ≤3 taps
• Each task clearly labelled with plain English (no jargon)
• All links and forms working correctly

If any task fails, make it a priority for the coming week. This tiny investment can prevent gradual degradation that leads to surges in phone traffic.

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Replace Fluff with Task Cards Above the Fold

What are “task cards”?

“Task cards” are large, clear, tappable panels on your homepage that each represent a single high‑value patient task. They are:

• Visually distinct buttons or panels
• Placed prominently above the fold on mobile
• Labelled with plain‑English task names, e.g.:
  • “Request an appointment”
  • “Order a repeat prescription”
  • “View my test results”

NHS improvement guidance for GP websites explicitly recommends that key tasks like appointments, prescriptions, test results, fit notes and registrations are easily visible on both the homepage and the mobile menu, and that unnecessary graphics, pop‑ups and overlays are eliminated. Core Task Cards to include

Request an appointment

• Goes straight to your online consultation tool or appointment request form

• Includes brief copy: “For non‑urgent problems. For urgent issues today, please call us.”

• Order a repeat prescription

• Links directly to your chosen route (NHS App, online form or partner service)

• Brief copy: “Faster than phone – order 24/7 using the NHS App or our online form.”

View or request test results

• Links to information and any online access method (e.g. NHS App)
• Brief copy: “Find out how we share and discuss your test results.”

Optionally, you can add:

• “Register as a new patient”
• “Request a fit (sick) note”

But do not push the three non‑negotiables further down to make space.

What to remove or move down

To free up space above the fold:

• Remove or relocate:
  • Large image sliders or carousels
  • Promotional banners not related to access
  • Long welcome text
  • Embedded social media feeds
  • Keep essential safety and access messages visible, but concise:
    • “Call 999 in a life‑threatening emergency”
    • “Call NHS 111 when the practice is closed”

This aligns with NHS usability guidance, which stresses focusing on key tasks, removing unnecessary graphics, and supporting mobile‑first design.

A simple before/after example

Before

• Large rotating slider with three images (flu campaign, PPG event, generic NHS image)
• Welcome paragraph about the practice’s history
• News list
• “Online services” link in the menu only

Result: Patients struggle to know where to click; task time for prescriptions might be 25 seconds and 6 taps. After

• Static, concise intro line: “Use our online services to get help, request prescriptions and view results.”
• Three large task cards:
  • Request an appointment
  • Order a repeat prescription
  • View your test results
  • Short safety line below: “In an emergency call 999. For urgent help when we are closed, call NHS 111.”

Result: Patients can reach each key task in 3 taps and under 10 seconds.

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Why Plugin Sliders and “Decorative” Features Hurt Access

The problem with sliders and pop‑ups

Many GP sites still use:

• Image sliders or carousels at the top of the homepage
• Pop‑up banners for news, surveys, or accessibility widgets
• Third‑party add‑ons that overlay important content

These often:

• Push key tasks below the fold on mobile screens
• Confuse screen readers and keyboard navigation
• Slow page load times (critical for patients on mobile data)
• Breach usability advice from NHS guidance and some GP website standards

NHS usability and accessibility guidance, and several GP website providers following that guidance, explicitly caution against banners, pop‑ups and overlays that interfere with core journeys. Better alternatives

• Use a static hero section with:
  • One clear practice statement
  • Three to five task cards
  • Move non‑urgent news and campaigns to:
    • A separate “News” or “Practice updates” page
    • Below the task cards
    • Use simple, built‑in accessibility features (good contrast, scalable text, alt text) rather than overlays that may conflict with WCAG and assistive technologies

The question to ask of every feature: “Does this help a patient complete a key task faster?” If not, it should not sit above your task cards.

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Track Phone Calls Before and After Homepage Changes

Show that your website is more than “decoration”

Once you redesign your homepage around task cards and hit your ≤10 seconds / ≤3 taps target, you should see an impact on behaviour — particularly on phone demand for routine tasks.

To prove it, measure:

1. Baseline (4 weeks before changes)

• Reception call tally or phone system reports:
  • Calls about repeat prescriptions
  • Calls about appointments that could have been made online
  • Calls asking “How do I get my test results?”
  • Capture:
    • Average daily call volume
    • Peaks (days/times) for each category

2. After implementing task cards (first 4–8 weeks)

• Repeat the same measurement
• Track if patients begin:
  • Using the online consultation route more
  • Requesting prescriptions via NHS App or forms
  • Asking fewer basic process questions

3. Communicate clearly to patients

Maximise the effect by telling patients that tasks are now easier online:

• Add brief text above cards: “Save time – do these tasks online in a few taps.”
• Use:
  • Waiting room posters
  • On‑hold phone messages
  • Messages on repeat prescription slips or SMS

Case‑style example

A medium‑sized urban practice:

• Replaced a large homepage slider with three task cards
• Simplified menus and removed a pop‑up survey from the homepage
• Promoted online prescriptions and appointment requests via SMS

Over three months they recorded:

• A significant drop in prescription‑related phone calls
• Faster triage because more appropriate requests arrived via the online form
• Positive feedback from patients who “hadn’t realised” they could do so much online

The key driver was not just the tools they had, but how easily patients could reach them from the homepage.

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Keep It Updated Seasonally Without Breaking the Journey

Seasonal changes that support, not disrupt, access

Practices must update content regularly for:

• Flu and COVID campaigns
• Bank holiday opening hours
• Staff or service changes

The risk is that each update adds banners, images and urgent messages that eventually bury your task cards.

To stay current and usable:

Seasonal Message Placement

• Keep your three task cards pinned above the fold
• Place seasonal content:
  • Just below the cards (“Seasonal updates” panel)
  • On a separate “News and campaigns” page, linked from the homepage

Short, clear seasonal messages

• Use brief, action‑focused content, for example:
  • “Flu vaccines: book online via the ‘Request an appointment’ card or call reception.”
  • “Bank Holiday: Check our opening hours and out‑of‑hours options.”

This way, seasonal campaigns reuse existing journeys rather than creating confusing, parallel ones.

Regular review checklist

Once a quarter, or with each major seasonal change, check:

Content and Structure

• Are the three task cards still:

  • Above the fold on mobile?
  • Clearly labelled in plain English?
  • Has any seasonal or campaign content crept above them? Accessibility and Compliance

• Does your homepage still comply with:

  • WCAG 2.1 AA (or 2.2 AA if your supplier provides it)
  • NHS design and accessibility guidance for GP sites
  • Are images appropriately sized and tagged with alt text?
  • Are fonts, colours and contrast easy to read for patients with visual impairments?

Functionality

• Do all task card links work and go to the right place?
• Has any supplier update changed the journey or added unwanted banners?

This approach aligns with NHS expectations that GP websites be accessible, usable, and regularly reviewed, while ensuring seasonal changes don’t undo the good work you’ve done.

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Key Takeaways

• Your GP website is a front‑door service, not a leaflet stand. It must help patients complete tasks quickly, especially on mobile.
• Focus your homepage on three non‑negotiable tasks:
  • Request an appointment
  • Order a repeat prescription
  • View or request test results
  • Use homepage task time as a simple, repeatable metric:
    • Target ≤10 seconds and ≤3 taps from the homepage on a mobile
    • Replace sliders, large images and pop‑ups with task cards above the fold.
    • Track phone calls before and after the change to demonstrate impact on access and workload.
    • Keep content seasonally updated without moving or diluting the task cards.
    • Ensure everything remains accessible and compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA and NHS usability guidance.

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Next Steps for Your Practice

1. Run your first homepage task test this week

• Use a mobile phone and a stopwatch
• Measure time and taps to:
  • Request an appointment
  • Order a repeat prescription
  • View or request test results
  • Record where you fall short of ≤10 seconds and ≤3 taps

2. Redesign your homepage around task cards

• Work with your website supplier or in‑house editor to:
  • Remove or demote sliders and decorative banners
  • Add three clear task cards above the fold
  • Simplify labels using plain English

3. Build a simple monitoring routine

• Check homepage task time weekly
• Review seasonal updates quarterly to keep content timely but focused
• Confirm accessibility and link integrity after each change

4. Measure and share the impact

• Track phone calls and online usage before and after changes
• Share results with:
  • Partners and practice staff
  • Your PCN or ICB digital leads
  • Use the findings to inform further tweaks and support for patients using digital channels

By treating homepage task time as a core quality metric — alongside clinical access and patient feedback — you can turn your website from “digital wallpaper” into a practical, compliant, and genuinely helpful front door to modern general practice.