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NHS GP Website Usability & Accessibility Guidelines

This page summarises key recommendations from NHS England for creating highly usable and accessible GP practice websites. It provides practical guidance we follow when designing and maintaining sites.

Primary reference: NHS England — Creating a highly usable and accessible GP website for patients.

Core Principles

  • Patient‑centred: prioritise common patient tasks and questions.
  • Plain language: avoid jargon, use clear headings and short paragraphs.
  • Consistent design: predictable navigation and component behaviour across pages.
  • Accessibility: meet WCAG 2.2 AA; ensure keyboard operability, contrast, and semantic structure.
  • Mobile first: optimise for small screens and assistive tech use.

Homepage Essentials

  • Prominent signposting for urgent care, appointments, prescriptions, test results, and registrations.
  • Clear opening hours, contact details, and practice announcements.
  • Link to online consultation and self‑help resources.
  • Use concise cards and buttons with descriptive labels.

Navigation & Information Architecture

  • Group content by patient needs (e.g., appointments, prescriptions, registration, services).
  • Keep menu labels simple and task‑based; avoid deep hierarchies.
  • Provide breadcrumbs and avoid orphan pages.
  • Include a site search where appropriate.

Content Standards

  • Write for reading age ~9–12; use short sentences and active voice.
  • Use headings (H1–H3) to structure content; one topic per page where possible.
  • Explain online processes clearly with steps, eligibility, and required information.
  • Maintain up‑to‑date practice policies and service information.

Accessibility Practices

  • Keyboard and screen reader support across all interactive elements.
  • Colour contrast and visible focus outlines; avoid text in images.
  • Provide alt text and descriptive link text; avoid "click here".
  • Use accessible PDFs or provide HTML alternatives; avoid complex tables.

Online Services

  • Integrate online consultation tools and prescription ordering with clear pathways.
  • Explain what patients can expect and typical response times.
  • Signpost to NHS 111 and urgent care appropriately.

Findability & performance

  • Use descriptive titles and meta descriptions; add structured data where useful.
  • Keep pages lightweight; optimise images; ensure fast loading on mobile.
  • Avoid broken links; monitor analytics to improve pathways over time.

Governance & maintenance

  • Assign ownership for content updates; review critical pages regularly.
  • Publish accessibility statement and cookie/privacy policies.
  • Provide feedback routes and act on patient input.

This summary is based on NHS England guidance (see reference above) and adapted to our GP website implementation practices.