England's National Health Service
England's National Health Service
Public Healthcare
March 2020. A novel coronavirus is sweeping across the globe, forcing nations into unprecedented lockdowns. In the UK, millions of citizens turn to the NHS website seeking critical health information - guidance that could mean the difference between life and death. The NHS digital team faces a monumental challenge: they must rapidly create, test, and launch clear guidance about a virus the world barely understands, under extreme time pressure, all while working remotely for the first time.
With teams dispersed across the country, traditional face-to-face research methods impossible, and the government poised to make announcements that would drive millions to their website, the NHS needed a solution - fast. Leveraging Optimal's best in class user research and insights platform, they embarked on an urgent mission to transform complex Covid-19 medical guidance into clear, accessible digital information for a nation in crisis.
"We'd never seen anything like this in a lifetime - it was a national emergency," reflects Lisa Collins, Lead User Researcher, NHS.UK, describing the weight of responsibility her team carried. "This information was so important to people's health, it had to be right, it had to be understandable. It's one of the most important times to get information right."
Working through the night, coordinating across multiple government departments, and racing against time, the NHS team created a comprehensive Covid-19 information hub that would serve approximately 80 million visitors at its peak. As Covid-19 cases mounted, their mission transcended mere information delivery - they were the front line of defense, tasked with providing clarity in chaos, confidence in crisis, and guidance that could save lives. How do you explain complex medical concepts to millions? How do you ensure critical health guidance reaches and resonates with every community? And how do you do it all when every minute counts?
As the primary source of health information for the UK, the NHS needed to rise to an unprecedented challenge: delivering clear, accessible Covid-19 guidance to a nation in crisis. The existing digital infrastructure, designed for routine health information, suddenly needed to support millions seeking urgent guidance about a novel virus. The team faced multiple critical challenges:
"We knew we couldn't just create this hub without getting valuable user insights," explains Lisa. "We needed to understand - do people understand the difference between testing types? More importantly, understanding what we're saying about coronavirus required more research with diverse networks - people who may have never used the website before, but are using it now because this is where the most important health information lives."
With the nation in lockdown, traditional research methods were impossible. Face-to-face sessions, paper card sorting, in-person testing - all the usual tools of user research were suddenly off limits. Yet the need for user insight had never been more urgent. Lives literally depended on getting this right.
In this critical moment, the NHS turned to Optimal's platform, enabling them to conduct comprehensive remote research at a scale and speed previously unimaginable. Within hours, not weeks, the team was:
"Without these tools, we couldn't have done it," Lisa emphasizes. "It would've been impossible to do without the ability to get large samples sorting in a remote world."
The pressure was unrelenting. Government announcements could come at any time, each potentially driving millions to the website seeking clarification and guidance. "We had to be ready for Boris's announcement," Lisa recalls. "We had quite a lot of us from different teams - policy, department of social care - three different teams coming together and we all had little bits to do. We were working into the night."
What might have taken months using traditional methods was accomplished in weeks. Research that would typically require extensive logistics and coordination was launched with a few clicks. While other organizations struggled to adapt to remote work, the NHS team was able to gather critical user insights from hundreds of participants across the UK, informing decisions that would impact millions.
The rapid research through Optimal's platform revealed insights that would prove crucial in the NHS's Covid-19 response. Each finding shaped how millions of UK residents would understand and act on vital health guidance:
Research revealed widespread confusion between PCR and Lateral Flow testing, the team knew they had to act fast. Users were struggling to understand which test they needed and when. Through clear, distinctive explanations for each testing method, the NHS helped millions make informed decisions about their health and safety.
Perhaps most critically, the research uncovered how Covid-19 guidance conflicted with deeply held cultural values. "Some people - it wasn't in their culture to do some of these things - not be with your family. It was impossible," Lisa notes. This insight led to more nuanced, culturally aware messaging that maintained safety guidance while acknowledging diverse community needs.
The impact of this work extended far beyond the research insights. In just four weeks, the team delivered unprecedented results:
→ 100 research participants recruited within 48 hours
→ 4-week timeline from concept to launch
→ 80 million visitors at peak times
→ 60 million website visits in six months (2x normal traffic)
→ Reached diverse communities across the UK
→ Supported critical government communications
"We had a lot of people looking for information for other people - to show their families, looking for themselves, healthcare professionals, such a mix of visitors," Lisa explains. "That's why it's so important to get the content right."
While the immediate crisis has passed, the lessons learned continue to shape the future of digital health communication. The NHS's ability to deliver user-centered design at speed during a national emergency proved that rapid delivery doesn't have to compromise quality or accessibility.
"We get things out in MVP and test things, get it in a shape and get it out early, learn from it, iterate it," Lisa explains. "Working in a user-centered design way - get something out early and then you start to learn from it. Teams working on it at scale, it shows the results."
Today, these principles guide the continuous improvement of NHS digital services, from the NHS App to the complete restructuring of their Health A-Z section. Each project builds on a fundamental truth revealed during the pandemic: clear, accessible health information doesn't just improve experiences - it saves lives.
This isn't just a heart-warming story of digital transformation - it's a testament to how user research, when properly equipped and empowered, can help organizations maintain their humanity even in the most challenging circumstances.
And the result? It isn't just a better website - it's a lifeline of clear, accessible information for all citizens, when they need it most.
