The 2‑Minute Page‑Speed Check for GP Surgeries: Is Your Homepage Slowing Patients Down?

GP practice websites are now a primary “front door” to NHS care, especially on mobile. If your homepage is slow, you are literally putting friction between patients and appointments, prescriptions and advice. The good news: you can run a meaningful speed check in under two minutes – and know exactly what to fix next.

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Why Page Speed Matters for GP Surgeries

A slow site is not just a technical annoyance; it directly harms access and increases workload for your team.

• Patients give up on online triage and call reception instead.
• People with poor connectivity, older devices or disabilities are disproportionately affected, raising legal and equality concerns.
• NHS England’s guidance on highly usable and accessible GP websites stresses simple, fast, mobile‑friendly journeys and minimal imagery and widgets – all of which are undermined by a slow homepage.

In other words, speed is now part of clinical safety, accessibility and NHS compliance – not just “IT”.

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Step 1: Where to Run the Test (Mobile First)

Your first check should always be on mobile, because:

• Most patients now access GP sites on phones.
• NHS guidance and the GP Website Benchmark & Improve tool emphasise mobile‑friendly, usable journeys.
• Poor mobile performance disproportionately affects older adults, carers on the move, and people on low‑cost data plans.

How to run a Google PageSpeed Insights test in under 2 minutes

1. Open a browser (Chrome or Edge works well). 2. Search for “Google PageSpeed Insights”. 3. Paste your homepage URL (for example, https://www.yourpractice.nhs.uk). 4. Click “Analyse”. 5. Make sure you are looking at the Mobile tab, not Desktop.

The report will show:

• An overall Performance score (0–100) for mobile.
• A set of metrics, including: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
• INP (Interaction to Next Paint) – Google is rolling this out as the key interactivity metric.

For this quick check, focus on those three: overall score, LCP, INP.

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Step 2: What LCP and INP Mean in Human Terms

Technical metrics only matter if they map to what patients actually feel. Here’s how to translate them.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

Plain‑English meaning

LCP measures how long it takes for the main thing on your page to appear – usually the hero image, large heading or main banner. What patients feel

• Fast LCP: “The page appears quickly; I can see where to click for appointments.”
• Slow LCP: “It’s just a blank or half‑loaded page. Is this site broken?” They may hit “back” and call the surgery.

Pass / borderline / fail on mobile

• Pass: LCP ≤ 2.5 seconds
• Feels snappy. Patients see the main content almost immediately.
• Needs work: LCP 2.6–4.0 seconds
• Feels sluggish but tolerable. People will wait, but some may give up on poor connections.
• Fail: LCP > 4.0 seconds
• Feels broken or painfully slow. Patients are likely to abandon the page or switch to phoning.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

Plain‑English meaning

INP measures how quickly the page responds when someone interacts with it – for example, tapping “Request an appointment” or opening the menu. What patients feel

• Fast INP: “When I tap, the site reacts straight away. I’m in control.”
• Slow INP: “I’m tapping but nothing’s happening. Did it work? Should I tap again?” That leads to double submissions, frustration, and more admin.

Pass / borderline / fail on mobile

• Pass: INP ≤ 200 ms
• Feels instant. Patients barely notice any delay.
• Needs work: INP 200–500 ms
• Feels slightly sticky or “laggy”, especially on forms.
• Fail: INP > 500 ms
• Feels unresponsive. Patients may refresh the page, re‑submit forms, or give up.

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Step 3: Interpreting Your 2‑Minute Results

When you run the test on mobile, note three things:

• Overall mobile score (0–100)
• LCP value (in seconds)
• INP value (in milliseconds)

Then classify your homepage.

For LCP (visual load)

• Pass: ≤ 2.5s
• Needs work: 2.6–4.0s
• Fail: > 4.0s

For INP (interactivity)

• Pass: ≤ 200ms
• Needs work: 200–500ms
• Fail: > 500ms

If either one is in “needs work” or “fail”, your patients are feeling it – especially on older phones and 3G/4G connections.

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Step 4: What Patients Feel When Your Homepage Fails

When your homepage fails LCP or INP, it is usually because of heavy visual elements and bloated scripts. Here’s what that looks like from a patient’s perspective.

Slow hero image

• A large, full‑width photo of the surgery or a stock image banner taking seconds to load.

• On low bandwidth, the page sits blank, then suddenly “pops” in.

• Patients on pay‑as‑you‑go data see this as expensive and frustrating. Plugin sliders and carousels

• Rotating banners or slides advertising flu jabs, opening hours, or news.

• Each slide is another image, script or effect to load and animate.

• On mobile, they are often ignored or confusing for screen reader users and people with cognitive issues.

• NHS guidance explicitly recommends avoiding unnecessary banners and pop‑ups for usability and accessibility.

Heavy custom fonts and animations

• Non‑system fonts loaded from third‑party providers for headings and body text.
• Subtle animations, fades, and scroll‑effects loading extra JavaScript.
• To patients, this translates as:
  • “The text appears line by line; it’s hard to read.”
  • “Buttons move around; I’m not sure where to tap.”

In short, every “fancy” visual flourish you add to a GP site makes it more likely that:

• Patients do not get through key journeys (appointments, prescriptions).
• People with disabilities or assistive tech hit more barriers, risking WCAG non‑compliance.
• Your reception and admin teams handle more phone calls and eConsult‑related queries.

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3 Common Causes of Slow WordPress Pages on GP Sites

WordPress powers a large share of UK GP websites. It can be fast and compliant, but many practice sites are held back by a few common issues.

1. Oversized images and media Typical symptoms

• LCP is high (slow main content).
• Banners, hero photos, or staff images load slowly and “jump” into place.

Common problems

• Uploading large, high‑resolution photos directly from a smartphone (4–10MB each).

• Hero images not compressed or not using modern formats like WebP.

• Downloadable leaflets embedded as image‑heavy PDFs rather than linking to NHS.uk content. Quick fixes

• Compress images before upload (aim for under 200KB per image on homepage).

• Use responsive image sizes and modern formats (WebP/AVIF) where your platform supports it.

• Remove unnecessary decorative images and background photos; rely on clear text and NHS‑style components.

2. Too many plugins and third‑party scripts Typical symptoms

• INP is high (slow interactivity).
• Menus stutter; forms take a moment to respond after taps.

Common problems

• Multiple form plugins, slider plugins, cookie pop‑up tools, chat widgets, and “accessibility toolbars”.

• Analytics scripts, social media feeds, and embedded widgets loading on every page.

• Old or unsupported plugins not optimised for modern performance standards. Quick fixes

• Audit plugins quarterly and remove anything not essential to patient care (for example, remove sliders, counters, unnecessary widgets).

• Avoid “accessibility overlays/toolbars” – NHS guidance recommends designing for accessibility natively instead.

• Use your supplier’s built‑in form and banner tools instead of extra third‑party plugins where possible.

3. Bloated themes and legacy content

Typical symptoms

• Overall mobile score is low, with both LCP and INP suffering.

• The site feels “heavy” even after image compression. Common problems

• Older “multipurpose” WordPress themes with many unused components and scripts.

• Custom page builders adding large amounts of code for simple layouts.

• Long pages stacked with outdated content, multiple embedded videos, and many PDFs.

Quick fixes

• Work with your supplier to move to a modern, NHS‑aligned template that prioritises speed, WCAG compliance and the standard NHS content structure.
• Cut content ruthlessly on the homepage – keep it focused on the core journeys:
  • Request an appointment
  • Repeat prescriptions
  • Test results
  • Contact and opening hours
  • Where possible, link to trusted content on NHS.uk instead of hosting heavy PDFs and long patient information pages locally.

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A Simple Weekly Speed Log Template

Monitoring page speed should become a light‑touch, routine quality check, just like checking phone queues or appointment availability.

You can use the following weekly speed log template in a spreadsheet or practice quality log.

Basic practice speed log

• Date tested Tester’s name
• Homepage URL tested Mobile Performance score (0–100)
• LCP (seconds) – mark Pass / Needs work / Fail
• INP (milliseconds) – mark Pass / Needs work / Fail
• Key notes from PageSpeed Insights
• For example: “Large image in hero”, “Too many render‑blocking scripts” Immediate actions taken
• For example: “Removed carousel”, “Compressed two images”
• Escalation needed
• For example: “Raise with website supplier”, “Discuss at next PCN digital meeting”

How to use it in practice

• Run the test once a week (e.g. Monday morning) from a standard staff laptop or phone.
• Rotate responsibility between admin or digital champions so it does not depend on one person.
• If scores drop (for example, LCP goes from 2.3s to 3.8s), check:
  • Has any new image, banner, plugin or video been added recently?
  • Has a supplier update changed the template?

Over time, this gives you an evidence base to share with your ICB, PCN, or website supplier and to feed into NHS Benchmark & Improve audits.

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What “Fixed” Should Look Like for a GP Homepage

A “fixed” homepage is not just faster in PageSpeed Insights; it is noticeably easier for patients to use and more likely to meet NHS and WCAG expectations. Core characteristics of a “fixed” GP homepage

Fast on mobile

• Mobile Performance score typically 70+ (higher is better, but context matters). LCP ≤ 2.5s

• INP ≤ 200ms Focused and uncluttered

• Clear, NHS‑style layout with 5–6 main navigation items (Home, Appointments, Prescriptions, About/Contact, etc.).

• No unnecessary sliders, pop‑up widgets, or decorative banners.

• Short, scannable copy following the NHS content style.

• Accessible by design

• High‑contrast colours, legible font sizes, and keyboard‑navigable menus.

• Minimal PDFs; where needed, clear alternatives and structured HTML pages.

• No reliance on “accessibility toolbars”; the core design meets WCAG 2.1 AA requirements.

• Patient‑centred journeys From the homepage, a patient can complete these journeys in 1–2 taps**:**

• Request an appointment

  • Request a repeat prescription
  • View opening hours and contact details
  • Access urgent and emergency instructions

• These journeys have been tested against the NHS GP Website Benchmark & Improve guidance. Example before‑and‑after scenario

• Before:

  • LCP: 4.6s (Fail)
  • INP: 620ms (Fail)
  • Mobile score: 35
  • Homepage has a large image slider, three fonts, multiple promotional banners, and a long news feed.

• After:

  • Removed slider and reduced to one static image or a clean, image‑light hero panel.
  • Compressed all images; replaced non‑essential imagery with simple colour blocks.
  • Removed third‑party “accessibility toolbar” and unused plugins; streamlined to one forms plugin.
  • Simplified homepage content to focus on four core actions and linked richer content to NHS.uk.

Result:

• LCP: 2.1s (Pass)
• INP: 150ms (Pass)
• Mobile score: 82
• Reception notes fewer “I can’t find the appointment form” calls; online journeys align better with NHS guidance.

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Why Next.js Sites Tend to Pass by Design

Many modern GP website platforms are now built on Next.js, a React‑based framework. While the underlying technology is not the main message for practice teams, it helps explain why some newer sites naturally perform better in PageSpeed tests. Key design advantages of Next.js‑based GP sites

Optimised image handling

• Built‑in tools serve images in the right size and format for each device, automatically reducing LCP times.
• Server‑side rendering and static generation
• Pages are often pre‑built and served quickly, which improves both LCP and INP, especially on mobile. Code‑splitting and minimal JavaScript
• Only the code needed for each page is loaded, reducing bloat from heavy plugins and page builders.
• Performance‑first patterns
• Components like navigation bars, accordions, and buttons are designed once to meet NHS and WCAG standards and reused across practices, rather than each site adding its own scripts and effects.

For practices, the takeaway is simple: a modern, NHS‑aligned platform (often built on Next.js or similar) bakes in many of the performance and accessibility benefits you are trying to achieve manually on older WordPress builds.

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Key Takeaways and Next Steps

Key takeaways

• Page speed is now a patient access and safety issue, not just a technical metric.
• A simple 2‑minute PageSpeed Insights test on mobile tells you whether patients are likely to experience a fast, usable homepage.
• Focus on three numbers: mobile score, LCP and INP.
• Most slow GP homepages are dragged down by:
  • Oversized images
  • Plugin sliders and unnecessary widgets
  • Heavy fonts and bloated themes
  • Regular monitoring with a weekly speed log turns performance into a manageable quality process.
  • Modern, NHS‑aligned platforms (often powered by Next.js) tend to pass speed and accessibility checks by design. Practical next steps for your practice
• Run a Google PageSpeed Insights mobile test on your homepage today.
• Record mobile score, LCP and INP in a simple log and classify them as Pass / Needs work / Fail.
• If you fail:

Ask your supplier to:

• Remove sliders, pop‑ups and non‑essential widgets.
  • Compress and rationalise homepage images.
  • Review plugins and scripts for performance impact. Internally:
• Trim homepage content to focus on core patient journeys.
  • Map your site against NHS England’s GP website usability guidance and benchmark tool.
• Consider, at your next website refresh or procurement:
  • Moving to a modern, NHS‑compliant template or platform that prioritises performance, accessibility and standardised patient journeys – often powered by Next.js or similar technologies.

By building page‑speed checks into your regular digital housekeeping, you help ensure your GP website is not slowing patients down, but actively supporting safe, efficient and equitable access to NHS care.