Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust commissioned the collaborative Communications and Engagement function from Arden & GEM and Midlands and Lancashire CSUs to reimagine and rebuild their website.
They wanted an easy-to-use CMS with the latest functionality and document management capabilities that would establish the website as the central hub for Trust services and information.
As a result of the collaborative expertise provided by developers, project managers and SEO specialists, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust now has an easy-to-navigate, customised, content-focused, functional, media rich and responsive website.
The challenge
As a large, busy acute trust serving a population of almost 600,000 people from sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust relies on its website to convey timely, accurate and useful information to both healthcare partners and members of the public.
The Trust’s Communications team was hampered by an old and inefficient content management system (CMS) which also limited the site’s accessibility and usability. They wanted an easy-to-use CMS with the latest functionality and document management capabilities that would establish the website as the central hub for Trust services and information.
The collaborative CSU team was engaged in June 2023 to design and develop a new website over a six-month period. Key project challenges were identified as:
- The large amount of content on the existing website which would need to be migrated across – over 2,000 pages as well as microsites for the Pathology and Libraries departments
- The need to work with three separate stakeholder teams to deliver the project
- A fixed deadline determined by the end of a hosting contract with the existing provider.
Our approach
The team worked to a six-stage approach under the guidance of an experienced project manager who coordinated the work, monitored progress and liaised with the client to ensure agreed milestones were met.
Stage One – Concept development
Development, refinement and approval of a design concept which improved accessibility and usability. By using an interactive, fully designed approach, the client could experience how users would view and navigate the website ahead of the development process.
Stage Two – Stakeholder engagement
Two guided workshops, for up to 20 participants, and an online survey were facilitated to engage key stakeholders, gathering views and opinions on the current website, and seeking feedback and insight on the new website. Outputs were collated into a presentation outlining the key findings and subsequent recommendations.
Stage Three – Build and migration
Over 5,000 existing items - including pages, imagery, coding and widgets – were reviewed and configured. By keeping the user journeys, menus and mapping as close as possible between the old and new sites, content administration was minimised. The CMS was upgraded to WordPress, providing the enhanced functionality and security required. Modern, user-friendly and accessible website template were created to cater for a diverse range of stakeholder groups.
Stage Four – Review and refine
A test link was provided for the client to review, collate feedback and suggest amendments. The client engaged with a broad range of potential users to test the website during this stage. Further content and user experience (UX) support ensured any changes or edits to the content and site structure were implemented.
Stage Five – Go live
Following final approval, the site was pushed into the live environment. CMS training and accessibility training were delivered for the Communications team and also extended to the teams responsible for the Libraries and Pathology microsites.
Stage Six – SEO and maintenance
Content was optimised for search engines by:
- Setting up redirects on key pages
- Reviewing the performance of top-ranking pages and ensuring effective mapping
- Adding tags and meta descriptions for all main pages.
A new, consolidated, more cost-effective website hosting agreement was put in pace along with an ongoing maintenance arrangement.
The outcomes
As a result of the collaborative expertise provided by developers, project managers and SEO specialists, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust now has an easy-to-navigate, customised, content-focused, functional, media rich and responsive website.
Visitors are quickly and easily signposted to essential resources, service information, medical advice and contact details. The homepage has an attractive visual style that highlights a diverse range of services and content, with sections relevant to the Trust’s multiple service areas ranging from their hospital sites to statutory corporate information, and even recruitment opportunities.
By migrating to WordPress, the Trust’s communications team is now empowered and able to make content updates and site adjustments in a consistent and simple manner. The work that was undertaken during the build and migration stage has also alleviated a host of historic issues with content, links, searchability and accessibility for the team.
An emphasis on user experience was strengthened through the development of powerful site search functionality and filtering, with easy content tagging in the CMS.
The new website combines industry-leading design techniques, bespoke functionality and content, and a user journey that is optimised for the best possible experience. The site is also scalable for future development.
"The team at the CSU have been a source of expert advice and guidance right from project conception through to delivery of our new Trust website. A clear project plan from the outset, along with weekly touchpoint meetings and regular communication, made what was a daunting redesign and challenging content migration project feel much more manageable.
The team listened to feedback throughout and were quick to act on this, completing what was a huge piece of work on time and to brief. We are delighted with our new website."
Rebecca Bourne, Deputy Director of Communications at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Find out more about our collaborative Communications and Engagement support here.