CancerBACUP website one of first to achieve Exemplary Information Partner status with NHS Direct Online

CancerBACUP's revamped website has become one of the first sites to achieve Exemplary Information Partner status in the NHS Direct Online Information Partners Programme.

The Information Partners Programme is a membership scheme for organisations that produce health information in the not-for-profit sector. Members must meet strict standards to qualify and are then linked to the NHSD website.

CancerBACUP’s website - which can be found at www.cancerbacup.org.uk - has long been established as an invaluable source of information and reference for cancer patients, their friends and relatives and health professionals. Its former site had already complied with a number of information quality and technical standards to achieve Full Information Partner status.

In order to achieve the Exemplary Information Partner status, the new site has been made even easier to use, with clear, consistent navigation, meaning that all 4,500 pages can be found within three clicks of the homepage.
It is also more accessible to people with disabilities. Improvements include:

Written alternatives for all images, so people using a screen reader - which scans text on the page and reads it aloud - can hear an explanation of them.
The option to increase text size.
Ensuring information is understandable with different colour settings or in black and white. This is crucial for people who cannot differentiate between colours.

Changes to the site will further its reputation as it has passed standards set by Bobby, a well established tool for assessing accessibility, as well as the NHSD.

Improvements to the way content is managed and organised have been based on research and extensive user testing. For example, research has shown that most people want to access relevant information on one type of cancer. The new website allows them do this easily and quickly by offering ‘Information Centres’, gathering together all the available information on particular cancers.

These information centres also include relevant Q&As, support organisations and clinical trials. There are links to other useful websites and information about booklets and leaflets produced by CancerBACUP.

Lucy Ashman, website editor at CancerBACUP, said: “Many people turn to our website as a source of information. We wanted to make it easy for them to get hold of relevant information. We spent a lot of time working on the new site and getting feedback from people who use it to ensure that it meets their needs. User trials of the new site have been very positive.”

In order to make the most effective use of the vast amount of information on the site, the website uses a content management system developed by Jamkit (www.jamkit.com). This ensures that the navigation and presentation are consistent across the site. The way the site is set up allows the dynamic use of information, for example keywords are used to collate all relevant information on specific topics.

Notes to Editors:
NHSD Information Partners Programme: www.infopartners.co.uk
Bobby accessibility checker can be found at http://bobby.watchfire.com

For more information contact Helen Riley / Daisy O’Clee on 0207 920 7219 or Jill Morrell on 0207 920 7220 or email jmorrell@cancerbacup.org For help outside office hours call 07973 308 346.

CancerBACUP is the only national charity that specialises in providing information on all types of cancer.
All CancerBACUP services are free to cancer patients, their relatives and friends.
CancerBACUP is part of the Department of Health Coalition for Cancer Information, which aims to ensure cancer information is of a high standard and widely accessible.

CancerBACUP Support Service: Freephone Information Service: 0808 800 1234 (Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm). The charity’s interactive website can be found at www.cancerbacup.org.uk

All CancerBACUP booklets are free to cancer patients, their relatives or friends. Health professionals pay the new reduced price of £1.95 per booklet. To order, call 020 7696 9003.

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