Transformation blog posts 2019

Using logic models to assess digital health products

Ian Roddis and Vicki Litherland explain how digital delivery teams from NHS Digital and Public Health England used logic models to assess whether the NHS website is fit for purpose.

Why we are deprecating and then withdrawing the NHS Common User Interface

Am I any good? Banishing self-doubt with the Digital Academy

Taking the leap: getting staff and patients to use the NHS App

Creating new standards of design with the NHS website

Dean Vipond, lead designer on the NHS website, talks about how adapting GOV.UK’s code saved valuable resources during the recent redesign

GP systems framework is key to sharing data

Buying systems that work together will enable GPs to deliver better care as they can readily access all the information they need about patients. Dr Stephen Miller, Clinical Director for Primary Care Technology at NHS Digital, writes about the importance of the new GP IT Futures Framework.

Tips for effective accessibility research

The future's bright for general practice

Justine Brightwell, Programme Head for GP IT Futures, looks at the ambitious programme to revolutionise how IT systems procurement works for general practice.

Creating connections – implementing NHS WiFi across England

NHS WiFi Programme Manager Donna Braisby reflects on the scale of the challenges involved and the significance of the project.

Apps that change lives

The NHS Apps Library, which went fully live in February, recently recorded its millionth visit. Lead User Researcher Janet Morgan describes how the team works with users to assure tools that are useful.

Passwordless login: the search for speed with security

Sean Devlin, a Tech Lead on the NHS App discusses how his team and their counterparts in NHS login worked together to allow people to login without passwords.  

The wonder of webinars in helping patients

Thousands of people around the country are suffering from the chronic condition of Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS). Marianne Williams, Specialist Gastroenterology Community Dietitian for the Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, explains how webinars have successfully helped these patients gain the knowledge they need to help manage their illness.

Tell us where data-driven technology is heading

Help shape the future of harnessing data-driven technologies in UK health and social care in a new survey. Find out more from Dr Indra Joshi, Digital Health & AI Clinical Lead with NHSX and Jess Morley, AI Lead with NHSX.

What’s next for data in the NHS?

Geraint Lewis, Chief Data Officer at NHS England, brings to life some of the ways in which data is already transforming health and care services and outlines his top priorities for the next year.

The NHS App: building a digitally accessible front door to the NHS

If the NHS App is going to become known, as the NHS Long Term Plan anticipates, as a ‘nationally available online way for people to access the NHS’, it is critical that it is accessible to all. David Hodnett, Programme Delivery Lead for the NHS App, explains why dropping a hyphen can be the difference between comprehension and confusion for some users.

Online forms open access to mental health care

The number of people seeking online help with mental health issues including anxiety, and depression is rising. Content designer Martine Gallie looks at how NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) teams can improve their online self-referral processes.

The NHS App: thinking big, starting small, scaling fast

The NHS App is already allowing people who have never used a GP online service to interact with their practices digitally. Tara Donnelly, Chief Digital Officer at NHS England, describes the agile approach to the app’s roll out.

Learning from each other to improve care - Sharing digital blueprints across the NHS

How can the sharing of Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) blueprints help improve outcomes for patients and staff?  Here Paul Charnley,  Director of IT and Information at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and CIO co-chair of the Blueprinting Steering Group for the Global Digital Exemplar programme, gives his thoughts on the launch of the first round of 34 blueprints and how he’s learning from them too.

The patients behind the clicks: research for the NHS App

The NHS App is an important element of a digital first healthcare system as outlined in the new NHS Long Term Plan. Here, Josh Dresner, user researcher on the NHS App project, describes how patients and staff have informed the development of the app.

Driving a patient-centric view to improve technology in healthcare

Dr Sam Shah, Director of Digital Development at NHS England, considers the impact of new digital tools and services on patients and how this should shape the future of technology.

Icons: avoid temptation and start with user needs

Icons can be a useful way to represent ideas simply. Ben Cullimore, Interaction Designer in the team which redesigned the NHS website, explains how they decided on the most effective icons to use.

Building accessible and mobile-first services for the NHS

After we relaunched the NHS website last August, we needed a way of sharing what we learnt with other digital teams to help them build accessible, mobile-first products and services too. David Hunter, an interaction designer in the NHS website redesign team at NHS Digital, explains how we did this.

Creating a blueprint for a new electronic patient record system

NHS England’s Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) programme is using blueprints based on the lessons learned by exemplars to help other trusts introduce similar improvements. Here, Robbie Cline, Director of ICT Programmes for Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust describes his trust’s experience.

A landmark moment: electronic prescriptions for controlled drugs

Controlled drugs are now part and parcel of the Electronic Prescription Service. Dr Ian Lowry, Director for Digital Integration, explains how this seismic shift came about and what it means for GP practices, community pharmacies and patients.

Mental health help at the click of a mouse

NHS.UK is making it easier for people with anxiety and depression to refer themselves online for NHS treatment. Content designer Martine Gallie explains how the team helped to make that happen.

NHS Apps Library: moving from Beta to Live

As the NHS Apps Library moves from Beta to Live this month, product owner Victoria Hunt reflects on the design changes so far, and what’s to come.

Creating better content for users with low health literacy

We’re working to improve the NHS website by making it better for people who struggle to use patient information. Here, content designer Mark Robinson and user researcher Ana Savic explain.

How to design a login for the modern NHS

NHS Digital is designing an NHS login to make it easier and quicker for people to access their personal health information online and other digital tools. Our principal service designer, Tero Väänänen describes his experience of supporting the design of the NHS login service.

Pee and poo and the language of health

How do we decide which words to use on the NHS website? Sara Wilcox, content designer with NHS.UK’s standards team, explains.

A single identity for health – how user research influences the design of the NHS login

Lead user researcher for NHS login (Citizen Identity) and Personal Health Records Rochelle Gold explains how user research has influenced the design of a single way to allow people to use one set of details to log into all their digital health services.