‍Preventx, a leading digital healthcare provider, collaborated with the NHS to design a self-testing portal for Hepatitis C. The project aimed to address accessibility challenges for high-risk populations, and Preventx needed to ensure compliance with stringent NHS and GDS standards. We, as their design partner, led Preventx through the Discovery and Alpha phases, ensuring that the service was user-friendly, compliant, and met both GDS and NHSX service standards.
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Challenge

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Preventx faced several challenges:

• Navigating NHS and GDS service standards
  ‍The new portal needed to comply with GDS service standards, which focus on user-centred design, accessibility, and secure data handling. Additionally, it had to meet NHSX requirements, such as compliance with WCAG 2.1 for accessibility and NHS data governance policies.

• ‍Reaching underserved groups
  ‍The service had to be designed to cater to diverse user groups, including People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), the South Asian community, and Men-who-have-Sex-with-Men (MSM). These groups had varying levels of digital literacy and cultural considerations that needed to be addressed in the design.

• ‍Ensuring user trust and privacy
  ‍The platform needed to maintain anonymity while handling sensitive health data, ensuring trust among users concerned with privacy and stigma.

Our approach

During the Discovery phase, we conducted comprehensive research, interviewing service users and stakeholders within the NHS and healthcare sector to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

Following GDS principles, we focused on:

• ‍User-centred design
  ‍We created a detailed service blueprint that mapped user journeys and addressed key challenges, ensuring the service was easy to use and accessible to diverse groups.

• ‍Iterative testing
  As part of the Alpha phase, we rapidly developed prototypes, testing them with real users to ensure that the service met both GDS and NHSX standards. This agile approach allowed us to refine the design based on user feedback.

• ‍Accessibility and inclusivity
  We ensured the platform complied with WCAG 2.1 standards, integrating multi-language support and a user-friendly interface to make the service accessible to individuals with varying levels of digital literacy.

By following these principles, we were able to create a service that was both compliant and effective in engaging its target users.

The results

‍Our guidance through the Discovery and Alpha phases delivered a service that was compliant, user-centred, and effective. Key results included:

• ‍GDS and NHSX compliance
  The service passed all required standards, including GDS’s user-centred design principles and NHSX’s accessibility and security guidelines, ensuring it met NHS digital service assessments.

• ‍Improved user engagement
  The platform achieved a 60% return rate for self-testing kits, significantly increasing engagement with high-risk groups.

• ‍Accessibility and inclusivity
  The platform was available in multiple languages, with a simplified design for users with varying levels of digital literacy, ensuring broad adoption.

Are you a tech company looking to deliver digital services for the NHS? We can help you navigate GDS and NHSX standards through the Discovery and Alpha phases, ensuring your service is compliant, user-centred, and ready for deployment.

Contact us today to explore how we can support your journey into NHS digital services.