*Website Update* – v2.03
Update – We have updated a couple of the NHS Elements which we use from the NHS Design Manual (as per Benchmarking & Improvement Tool) to comply with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards (specifically the Breadcrumbs, submit buttons, footer links, header elements and the summary list at the end of online forms.
Update – NHS Digital have moved their content (Health, Medicines and Live Well) to another source so we have updated all of the API endpoints in order to retain our integration with NHS Content on your home page.
Fix – We have identified and fixed a bug whereby if a news post is published that begins with a HTML element such as a clickable link, an unordered (bulleted) list or other, the layout of this on the home page (where the excerpt displays in the news section) does not retain its correct format.
Fix – Following an update yesterday of the WordPress CMS, our logo had stopped displaying on the login page, this was related to our security module who have rectified the issue their end and this will be deployed separately over the next 24 hours.
Our next big update will be V2.1 which will contain some amazing dashboard amendments to give you even more control over the layout of your website!
NHS GP Registration Service
You may be aware that it is mandated in to the GP contract 2024/25 that all practices in England MUST enrol and fully adopt the NHS GP Registration Service by the end of October 2024, that date is looming! (Details here)
There is also a new PRF1 form which replaces the purple GMS1 registration form.
NHSE are aware of a number of practices who have enrolled but but have not yet published their URL on their website, they ask that you please do so as this is a constituent part of fully adopting the service.
It’s OK, we use HealthTech1! – Apparently that’s not OK. NHSE say that HT1 have recently issued comms to practices across England who are using their form and not the national service, the practices need to migrate from HT1 to the nationally mandated form by October 31st. “Any practice currently using HT1 from their website have until the end of October to remove this (HT1) link and then transfer to the NHS form.“
There will be an update about integration of the service with TPP and Emis in Q1 2025. Timelines and designs have been agreed with both providers and national comms will be released shortly to update all of primary care.
Annual eDeclaration
We’ve had a few emails this week asking about the answers to questions 8XAB (Website security/encryption) and 8XBA (Website standards) in your annual eDeclaration return, so thought we’d distribute our response here:
8XAB – Whilst the practice uses encryption on it website, the practice has a process in place to ensure that any links on its pages, including third party suppliers, uses the same level of security:
Yes, all SurgeryWeb websites have a function applied that forces the user to browse on a https-secure connection regardless of what page they are on.
8XBA – In maintaining and updating its website, the practice ensures that:
- Practice website usability has been tested using the GP website benchmarking and improvement tool within the last 12 months by the Practice, ICB or supplier – Yes, our ‘NHS template’ was developed specifically to score as well as possible on the tool so has been audited many times, and practices still using our classic template can also answer ‘yes’ as that template has also been audited and modified accordingly.
- Patients are able to access and start key tasks from links on the practice website homepage (and menu at the top of the page) – Yes, the ‘NHS template’ has specific tiles and links for the key tasks, practices using the classic template should just ensure that their main navigation contains the links to Appointments, Prescriptions, Test Results, Sick Notes and Registering with the practice.
- Practice website providers template is fully accessible and meets WCAG AA standards, the practice website includes an accessibility statement –Yes, both templates are accessible to WCAG 2.1 AA standard and we are currently updating to 2.2 standards, the templates will be externally audited and user-tested upon completion.
- Practice website provider uses a responsive template – Yes, both templates are fully responsive for all screen sizes and mobile/tablet devices.
- Practice website provider uses NHS design components in its template –Yes, both templates contain NHS elements taken from the NHS Digital Service Manual, the ‘NHS template’ more so.
*Website Update* – v2.02
Fix – We have fixed the links to the Health A-Z and Medicines A-Z index when the website is being viewed on the temporary web URL prior to going live.
*Website Update* – v2.01
New – You can now change the “Additional Information” heading on the right hand side secondary menu via the “Navigation” section in your dashboard.
Amendment – Template coding amendments behind the scenes in preparation for future updates
*Website Update* – v2.0
Fix – When you are using a third-party registration service such as NHS GP Registration or HealthTech1 instead of the on-site form, the “Register Online” page (found via search results) would display a message that the on-site form is not active, this will now redirect patients straight to your online provider instead.
Update – We have revised the Accessibility, Privacy and Data Processing Statements and updated the “Reviewed” date.
*Website Update* – V5.1.7
Amendment – You now have the ability to use the “Full Width page template” for staff pages, so if using photos of your staff they will span across the page (6 per row) instead of being restricted on the left hand side of the page with only 3 per row.
Amendment – The friends and family test online form previously had the “Personal data” settings set to delete all entries after 30 days as per the privacy policy but as this is an anonymous form this is not essential so the default settings have now been changed to retain entries indefinitely, and can be changed at practice level if required. This is at the request of practices who rely on dashboard entries for collating data rather than submission emails as entries were being deleted before data could be counted.
*Website Update* – v1.9
Fix – When using a Practice Logo in the header, this now links back to the home page correctly.
Fix – When you click “See All News” from the home page, the news archive would display 10 posts per page but the page numbers navigation was missing from the bottom, this has been resolved and you can now browse all published posts.
Amendment – The cards which display the news posts now include the publish date.
New – Another new toolbar feature has been introduced to allow you to create boxes (NHS Cards) on your page of content which have the NHS framework appearance (clickable white box with blue heading and arrow icon).
To create an NHS card, click the new “Add NHS Card” button:
This will open a small pop-up asking you to enter a heading for your card (i.e. ‘Ante-Natal Clinic’), some description text (i.e. ‘We run an in-house Ante-Natal clinic, click here for more details’), the URL for your link (the web address to link the text to) and whether the link should open in a new tab/window or not (if you are adding a link to a page on the same website, untick this, but if it is an external website then tick this so your patient is not taken away from your website).
When you click OK, a ‘shortcode’ for your card is added in to the content editor and when you view your page you will now see your new card on the page.
*Website Update* – v1.8
Fix – Updated the year in the footer ‘copyright’ message, this will now auto-update.
Fix – If no CQC ID is entered (for the widget in the footer), it was misaligning the footer columns, this is resolved.
Fix – Some of the online forms were still reachable via search results despite “Use this form” being toggled to off, these are now replaced with a message which states “This form is not currently in use by this organisation.”
*Website Update* – v1.7
New – Another new toolbar feature has been introduced to allow you to create links on your page of content which have the NHS framework appearance (blue link with green arrow icon).
To create an NHS link, click the new “Add NHS Link” button:
This will open a small pop-up asking you to enter the text for your link (i.e. ‘click here for xyz’), the URL for your link (the web address to link the text to) and whether the link should open in a new tab/window or not (if you are adding a link to a page on the same website, untick this, but if it is an external website then tick this so your patient is not taken away from your website).
When you click OK, a ‘shortcode’ for your link is added in to the content editor and when you view your page you will now see your new link on the page.
