Client challenge
In 2015 the NHS in London formed the Healthy London Partnership to develop and agree a shared plan for our capital for the coming years. The aim is to improve health services and make London a healthier, more livable global city by 2020.
In 2016 the Partnership needed to expand by bringing in more of these partners, stimulating support from the political class, and leading the London health agenda in the media. The best way to do this was through a single online platform to allow existing partners to share information, generate ideas and work collaboratively.
The Partnership’s presence on the internet was on a section of the public-facing myhealth.london.nhs.uk website, which we manage on behalf of the 32 CCGs in London. As their target audience is health and care professionals, the Partnership needed a standalone website to showcase their work and present their organisation as a modern thinktank, rather than a public service.
Our solution
We worked with the Partnership’s communications team to build a new site from the ground up – including wireframes, colour schemes, fonts, and navigation. It includes standard functionalities such as video embedding, social media feeds, newsletter subscriptions, comments sections, and document downloads.
We used the open source content management system Drupal, also used by The White House and the Care Quality Commission, to ensure security and stability, and future-proofing the site. For stakeholders directly working with the Partnership, we built a secure and password-protected discussion forum and private messaging system, allowing health and care professionals to share their work with colleagues.
We built a resource functionality for the Children and Young People programme to publish and promote the London Asthma Toolkit – a document library to support healthcare professionals, schools, parents, carers, children and young people, and help organisations implement London’s new asthma ambitions and standards.
We also built a section for a a training package for GP receptionists and practice managers, as part of the programme for helping improve care for people who are homeless.
The outcome
The healthylondon.org website has a bright and clean design and features the latest functionality and intuitive navigation. It is mobile responsive, looks great on any device, and has been used to support many projects including The Great Weight Debate, Healthy Living Week, and new mental health guidance to help support mothers and babies.