The All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC) and the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) have officially launched their merged website.
Previously, there have been two separate websites for AWMSG and AWTTC. One finding of an independent review of AWMSG in 2019 was that people were often unaware of the distinction between AWMSG and AWTTC with confusion around the roles and responsibilities of each. This presented obstacles to audiences trying to navigate two separate websites to find information and guidance. Therefore, the decision to create a new, merged website for the two was reached to help achieve the shared objective of both AWMSG and AWTTC in ‘Supporting prudent prescribing to obtain the best outcomes from medicines for patients in Wales..
The advantages to a new, merged website are:
AWTTC and AWMSG have ensured that the needs of their varied audiences are considered, and that the different areas of the portfolios are given equal prominence. Care has been taken to ensure that, where appropriate, the use of organisational names associated with specific areas of work is continued and their unique identity preserved.
The organisation worked with Box UK, a Cardiff-based consultancy specialising in the design, development and delivery of user-centred digital platforms. Box UK have a proven track record of delivering projects for NHS Wales, in particular with DHCW in the development of the new NHS Wales web platform in addition to their work with other high-profile clients such as Welsh Government and the Royal College of Nursing. Box UK also designed and built the new website based on user testing at various stages, this allowed AWTTC and AWMSG to give their audience a say in the websites structure.
Dr Clare Elliott, a senior scientist at AWTTC and technical lead for the new website says, “We knew it would be a challenge to merge two websites into one and meet the requirements of our users which ranges from our NHS Wales colleagues including clinicians, pharmacists, nurses and planners, to the pharmaceutical industry, Welsh Government, partner organisations such as NICE and the MHRA, academia and, perhaps most importantly, patient organisations, individual patients and the general Welsh public.
“We hope that by working with Box UK and involving our end users in helping us structure the website, the new AWTTC website allows us to share the work and outputs of both AWTTC and AWMSG in a way that ensures our audience can easily access what they need.
“We will continue to make improvements to the website and welcome all users to give their views and suggestions through an online survey on the new website.”