Websites & patient experience · Practical guide

Make back-to-top buttons useful without covering content

A floating back-to-top control can obscure content or abruptly move visitors while leaving focus at the bottom. A convenience action then breaks their sense of position.

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

Ask the supplier to give the back-to-top action a clear destination and keep its floating button away from information and other controls.

A worked example

Illustrative example

A visitor uses Back to top from the end of a long service guide, reaches the page's starting area and can continue into navigation.

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.

Why this matters to your practice

A return-to-top button should save effort on a long guide. It should not hide the text, cover another action or leave a keyboard user stranded at the bottom after the screen moves. Ask your supplier to show the button with enlarged text and on a small phone. Decide where returning to the top should lead: the heading, main navigation or another sensible starting area. The destination should help someone continue, rather than simply produce an attractive scrolling effect.

How to check the result

Accept when the action has a clear destination, leaves focus usable and does not hide reading content or other controls.

A mistake to avoid

A smooth scroll animation can look polished while leaving keyboard focus on a control that is now far outside the visible screen area.

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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