Stephen (@hmshale) is head of digital for the Department of Health >> About Stephen
Smartphones changed the way I use the internet. My previous online behaviour seems almost quaint now. Online maps, for example, were already pretty useful before I could access them on my phone. But a map on my phone - that …
If all goes to plan this weekend, the corporate bits of the DH web presence will be simpler and a bit easier to use on Monday morning. I've mentioned before what's driving this work, and some of the things that …
We're about to simplify the content we provide via the Department of Health corporate website. The website won't look that different once we've done it. But we will have made some pretty big changes to the way we generate and …
A long time ago I hand-coded a content management system from scratch using PHP and MySQL for a cheese reviews website. It wasn't a very good CMS, and it was a rubbish website. But I did it - it was …
We're recruiting for a digital engagement manager at the moment. It's an internal recruitment exercise - the job is only available to current civil servants. The role is described in full on the Civil Service Jobs site (login required). Extract: …
Below is a template for planning digital policy engagement and digital communication campaigns and activity. Note: this is a template to plan digital activity. It should be used alongside policy engagement or communications strategy, not replace them. Plans should be …
For the last few weeks in DH we've been pausing to listen, reflect and improve. You can read all about the NHS listening exercise and the work of the NHS Future Forum elsewhere. But for the digital communication team the …
We need to change the way we create, publish and manage digital content in the Department of Health. We need to do it now. There are a few reasons why: The Department of Health is changing. We'll soon be responsible …
We've been rationalising government websites for almost as long as I can remember. But there are still lots of government websites, and at the Department of Health we're responsible for our fair share. Last year, in the spirit of transparency, …
I've always been a bit intolerant of content management systems. It's a problem, and I'm trying to address it. Photo credit: mindweb from morguefile.com The source of my problem is a feeling I have that content management systems are often …