Websites & patient experience · Practical guide

Explain shared-building facilities accurately

A location page says we have parking, a cafe or a waiting room, although those facilities are managed by a shared building. Availability and charges may differ from the practice's promises. A shared building may offer facilities that the practice does not manage. Explain their location and availability only to the extent the local team has verified them.

Read the guide Make your action list
Healthcare website and appointment calendar displayed on devices at an empty clinic reception.
Make the website useful for the people who use your practice.

What to change

Name the facility and its actual provider where this affects the patient's decision. Verify practical details and describe limitations that matter to someone planning a visit.

A worked example

Illustrative example

A clinic says visitors may use the building's public car park and links to the operator's information. It avoids describing the spaces as reserved patient parking when that is not the arrangement.

Healthcare website design showing connected desktop and mobile service and enquiry layouts.
Make the service and next step clear on every screen.
Healthcare website accessibility illustrated by a focus outline, keyboard key, contrast samples and form.
Review keyboard access, contrast and understandable form fields.

Put it into practice

Ask who can answer questions or report a problem with those facilities. Photographs and captions should preserve that distinction too. A picture of a communal area should not suggest it is a private practice facility or available on terms nobody has checked.

Keep any facility description connected to the correct building or branch. Reusing a group template should not accidentally imply that all locations provide the same shared spaces or arrangements.

What to agree before publishing

Identify which organisation manages each facility and confirm what can truthfully be said about it. A shared lounge, toilet or parking area should not be described as a dedicated practice feature if it serves the whole building. Ask where a visitor directs a practical question or reports a difficulty. Review imagery as well as text, since an attractive photograph can imply exclusive access even when the sentence is careful. Keep each facility tied to the correct branch rather than a generic group template.

How to check the result

A visitor understands which facilities are part of the appointment experience and which are separate services.

A mistake to avoid

Do not guarantee availability for a shared facility solely because staff usually find it convenient.

Turn reading into a next step

Your action checklist

Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.

Checks to discuss

Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.

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Further reading

These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.

Related guides

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