Websites - GM PCB

Primary care organisations must meet the internationally recognised ‘AA’ standard of accessibility, the Web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.1

The guidelines set out how to make digital services, websites, and apps accessible to everyone. They cover:

applications for mobile devices, such as phones or tablets
websites and all their content
all software which uses the web browser as the interface
intranets
extranets

Practices are legally responsible for ensuring their website meets accessibility requirements, even if it has been outsourced to an external supplier.

Consider

Is your website focussed on the information that patients need?

Is your website clear and easy to use?

Does your website encourage patients to use self-help alternatives to a GP appointment for non-urgent issues?

Does your website signpost patients to the NHS App?

Does your website meet NHS accessibility standards?

How to identify website accessibility issues

NHS Digital has produced a simple guide to undertaking a rapid accessibility audit which can be performed by staff in the practice.

This can help identify accessibility issues that need fixing. For example, the legibility of fonts and ensuring the use of ‘alternative text’ for images, which allows text readers to read details of web pages more thoroughly.

The NHS England guidance Creating a highly usable and accessible GP website for patients is designed to help staff that are involved in planning, developing or maintaining a general practice website in order to ensure it meets patients’ accessibility needs. It covers user testing, design and patients’ key information needs, and provides recommended copy for an ‘appointment’ page, ‘prescription’ page and ‘contact us’ page.

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