Your GP website isn’t just a digital noticeboard – it’s the front door to your practice. With 61% of patients now using GP websites as their first stop for healthcare services, having a clear, user friendly site is essential for online patient access and reducing unnecessary admin work.
But here’s the problem: many GP websites don’t meet NHS digital standards. A recent NHS review found that over 50% of GP websites lack essential features, making it harder for patients to find information and forcing them to call reception instead. If your site isn’t making repeat prescription requests, appointment booking, or NHS online consultations quick and easy, it’s adding to your team’s workload instead of reducing it.
To help fix this, NHS England has released a new Step-by-Step Guide to Improving General Practice Website Online Journeys. This guide is designed for Practice Managers, PCNs, GP Federations and ICBs – basically, anyone responsible for keeping a GP website running smoothly. It provides a clear framework for improving online patient access, ensuring websites align with NHS digital transformation goals, and supporting a digital-first NHS.
A well optimised website means fewer phone calls, less patient frustration and a more efficient practice. If your website isn’t quite there yet, don’t worry – we’ve gathered the best practices in our latest white paper, Boosting Patient Engagement & Practice Efficiency: A Guide to High-Performing GP Websites. Download it here for the full step-by-step guide, but in the meantime, here are four key improvements that can make your website work harder for your practice.
1. Make it easy to use (because patients won’t stick around)
Patients expect quick, intuitive access to services online. In fact, 40% of users abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. If your site is clunky, slow or confusing, patients will give up and call reception – putting more pressure on your staff.
- Clear, simple menus: patients should find appointment booking, repeat prescriptions and self-care information within one or two clicks
- Mobile friendly design: with 91% of the UK using smartphones, your site must work flawlessly on mobile
- Fast load times: every second counts. Google reports that a one second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by 7%
2. Meet NHS Digital and accessibility standards
A GP website must be usable by everyone, including patients with disabilities or limited digital skills. Yet, NHS data shows that nearly 1 in 5 people in the UK have a disability that affects their ability to use websites.
NHS compliance checklist:
- Readable fonts and high contrast: essential for 2 million people in the UK with sight loss
- Screen reader compatibility: ensures 4 million people with dexterity issues can navigate without using a mouse
- Clear, jargon-free language: the NHS recommends aiming for a reading age of 9-11 for accessibility
3. Reduce admin burden (and free up your reception team)
Patients often call reception because they can’t complete tasks online. In a study of UK GP practices, a lack of online booking and prescription services led to a 30% increase in unnecessary phone calls.
Digital tools that cut admin time:
- Online appointment requests: streamlines patient access while easing the pressure on reception teams by reducing call volumes
- Repeat prescription requests: patients can conveniently order online, freeing up valuable time for practice staff
- Secure patient messaging: enables efficient online triage, helping to reduce unnecessary appointments and improve practice workflow
4. Keep your website secure and up to date
With cybersecurity threats rising in the NHS, protecting patient data is non-negotiable. A 2024 report highlighted that phishing attacks are the most common type of cyber threat, affecting 90% of businesses and 94% of charities.
How to keep your site safe:
- Regular security updates: ensure your platform is patched against cyber threats
- Secure online forms: avoid email-based requests that could be intercepted
- GDPR compliance: ensure patient data is stored and processed securely
Is your website helping or hurting your practice?
If your website is frustrating patients, creating extra admin work, or failing NHS digital checks, it’s time for a change. A digital-first NHS requires practices to offer seamless online patient access, making essential tasks like NHS online consultations and repeat prescription requests simple and accessible for all.
📥 Download the full white paper for a step-by-step guide to improving your GP website, boosting patient engagement and keeping your practice at the forefront of NHS digital transformation.