The NHS today unveiled new developments in its efforts to ensure people find trusted information online. It has worked with Google to ensure it provides the public in the UK with easy access to NHS information about more than 250 of the most searched for health conditions on the NHS website, through new Knowledge Panels.
The NHS wants to ensure the public are presented with accurate and up to date information, however they search for information. The Knowledge Panels will include information about symptoms, treatment and causes.
The change means that if you search one of the featured conditions using Google on your mobile you will see NHS links and content, sourced from the NHS website.
This will help ensure that thousands of people will be provided direct access straight to NHS advice.
The information from the website has been syndicated and is freely available for any search engine, social media platform or other organisation to use as part of efforts to ensure the public can easily access NHS content.
The content being used is sourced directly from the NHS website, following work to ensure that the bitesize chunks of content, all clinically assured, can be discovered more easily by the public.
The NHS website is viewed millions of times a year, with more than three quarters of visits coming directly from internet searches on mobile phones.
Tara Donnelly, chief digital officer at NHSX, said: “One of NHSX’s key missions is to ensure the public are provided with accurate health information so they can be confident they are following official NHS advice.
“By making NHS website content free to use for third party organisations, we will ensure people get NHS advice when they search online rather than some of the many other sources, some with guidance that isn't right for the UK, and some that just aren’t right.”
Professor Jonathan Benger, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Digital, which runs the NHS website says: “Getting the right health information to the public is essential, and syndication from the NHS website means that people can be confident that the information they see meets the highest clinical standards.”
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