§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the content and design of his Department's website. [139338]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonA programme of research among users of the Department's website was undertaken in Autumn 2001. The objective was to inform changes to the site design, notably to the home page and top-level section pages, which were implemented during 2002. These re-designs were supported by usability testing (observing users carrying out specified tasks). Tracking research was conducted late in 2002 to assess progress and further inform future development.
In November 2002 the Department began working with the Office of the e-Envoy to migrate the Department's website to the new Central Government Infrastructure. As part of this process and based on the findings of the user research exercises and feedback from website users, all content was reviewed. The Department is now in the process of implementing major improvements which will address the key needs of site users, namely the site structure, more targeted quality content, improved searching, consistency of design and branding, improved navigation and meeting accessibility standards for users with disabilities. The new website will go live at the end of 2003.