Accessibility Statement
Veritas Pharmacy & Private Clinic is committed to making this website accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of disability, assistive technology, or how they access the internet. This statement explains our current standard, known limitations, and how to get help.
About this statement
This statement covers the website veritaspharmacy.co.uk and all its pages. It does not cover third-party services we link to, including the Halaxy booking platform (governed by Halaxy’s own accessibility commitments) or NHS.uk pages.
We want every patient and visitor to be able to use this website, including people who:
- Use a screen reader (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
- Navigate by keyboard without a mouse
- Use voice recognition software (Dragon NaturallySpeaking)
- Increase browser text size or use a screen magnifier
- Have colour vision deficiency and need sufficient contrast
- Have cognitive differences that benefit from clear language and consistent structure
- Access the site on a mobile device or a slower data connection
How accessible this website is
We believe this website is substantially compliant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The table below summarises our conformance across the principal success criteria areas.
| Success criterion | Implementation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 — Non-text content (alt text) | All meaningful images carry descriptive alt attributes; decorative images use empty alt=”” | Pass |
| 1.3.1 — Info and relationships (headings) | Semantic heading hierarchy (h1→h2→h3) used consistently; ARIA landmark roles applied throughout | Pass |
| 1.3.3 — Sensory characteristics | Instructions never rely solely on colour, shape, size, or position | Pass |
| 1.4.1 — Use of colour | Colour is never the only means of conveying information; status labels always accompany colour coding | Pass |
| 1.4.3 — Contrast (minimum) | Body text on white: 9.5:1 · Navy (#010E7D) on white: 14.5:1 · Cyan (#00C4E3) on navy: 4.8:1 · All exceed 4.5:1 AA minimum | Pass |
| 1.4.4 — Resize text | All content remains readable and accessible when text is resized to 200% via browser controls | Pass |
| 1.4.10 — Reflow | Content reflows at 320 px viewport without horizontal scrolling or loss of content | Pass |
| 1.4.12 — Text spacing | Open Sans at 14 px base with 1.7× line height; spacing adjustable without loss of content | Pass |
| 2.1.1 — Keyboard accessibility | All interactive elements (links, buttons, forms, navigation, accordion) are keyboard-operable in logical order | Pass |
| 2.4.3 — Focus order | Tab order follows the visual reading order and logical meaning of each page | Pass |
| 2.4.7 — Focus visible | A 3 px solid Royal Blue :focus-visible ring is applied to all interactive elements | Pass |
| 2.5.3 — Label in name | All button and link accessible names match or include their visible text label | Pass |
| 2.5.5 — Target size | All buttons and links meet the 48 × 48 px minimum touch target (NHS mobile guidance) | Pass |
| 3.1.1 — Language of page | lang=”en-GB” is declared on the <html> element of every page | Pass |
| 3.3.1 — Error identification | Form errors are identified in text and programmatically associated with the relevant input via aria-describedby | Pass |
| 3.3.2 — Labels or instructions | All form inputs have visible <label> elements associated programmatically via for=”” attributes | Pass |
| 4.1.2 — Name, role, value | All UI components use standard HTML elements or have appropriate ARIA roles, names, and state attributes | Pass |
| Halaxy booking widget (iframe) | Third-party embedded calendar — assessed by Halaxy separately. We report issues directly to Halaxy and advocate for improvements. | Third party |
Steps we have taken
- Colour contrast audit: All text and interactive elements tested against WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratios at design stage. Navy on white achieves 14.5:1; body copy on white achieves 9.5:1 — both well above the 4.5:1 minimum.
- Semantic HTML5: Pages are built with <nav>, <main>, <section>, <article>, <aside>, <footer>, and <header> elements with ARIA landmarks throughout.
- Skip navigation: A “Skip to main content” link is provided at the top of every page for keyboard and screen reader users.
- Focus management: Visible :focus-visible outlines on all interactive elements; focus order matches the visual layout of each page.
- Minimum touch targets: All buttons and links are at minimum 48 × 48 px in line with WCAG 2.5.5 and NHS mobile accessibility guidance.
- ARIA labels and descriptions: All interactive controls that are not self-describing carry aria-label or aria-labelledby attributes. Decorative images use alt=”” to suppress screen reader announcement.
- Responsive design: Mobile-first layout tested at 320, 768, 1024, and 1440 px viewport widths.
- Plain English: Clinical and health content targets a maximum reading age of approximately 12 years, in line with NHS plain-language guidance. Technical terms are defined in context.
- Prefers-reduced-motion: Animations on the site respect the user’s operating-system prefers-reduced-motion preference and are suppressed or minimised where detected.
Content outside the scope of this statement
- Halaxy booking platform: The embedded Halaxy booking calendar is a third-party service. Halaxy’s own accessibility statement is available at halaxy.com. Phone booking is always available as an alternative. We continue to advocate for Halaxy accessibility improvements on behalf of our patients.
- NHS Spine and EPS interfaces: Pharmacy-side NHS clinical systems accessed by our staff are governed by NHS England’s own accessibility obligations.
- Third-party PDFs and documents: Patient information leaflets produced by third parties (e.g. NHS England, NICE, GPhC) that we link to but have not produced or control.
- Archived content: Content not required for active use and not updated since 23 September 2019 is exempt under the regulations.
Known accessibility issues
We are actively working on every issue below. This section is updated when issues are resolved or newly identified. If you discover an issue not listed here, please report it — we treat accessibility reports as priority issues.
Halaxy booking widget — keyboard navigation within iframe
Partial — third partyThe Halaxy online booking widget embedded on the Book Appointment and Services pages is a third-party iframe. Some keyboard navigation sequences within the widget may not fully meet WCAG 2.1 AA. The iframe itself carries a title attribute for screen reader identification.
Reported to Halaxy · Workaround: all appointments can be booked by telephone during opening hours
Health Hub PDF documents — screen reader tagging
In progressSome downloadable PDF documents in the Health Hub may not be fully tagged for screen reader access. We are remediating our PDF library, prioritising clinically important documents first.
Target resolution: Q3 2026 · Alternative: contact us and we will provide an accessible version on request
Video content — manually reviewed captions
In progressAny video content currently uses auto-generated captions. We are manually reviewing and correcting caption accuracy for all clinical videos. Text alternatives are provided alongside all video content in the interim.
Target resolution: Q4 2026
How we tested this website
This website was developed to WCAG 2.1 Level AA from its initial build. A full accessibility audit was completed in May 2026 by the Neo Creatives development team using the following methods:
- Automated scanning: WAVE (WebAIM), axe DevTools browser extension, Google Lighthouse (accessibility audit)
- Manual keyboard testing: Full keyboard-only navigation audit of all page templates and interactive components
- Screen reader testing: NVDA + Firefox (Windows); VoiceOver + Safari (iOS)
- Contrast verification: WebAIM Contrast Checker; TPGi Colour Contrast Analyser
- Mobile assistive technology: iOS Safari + VoiceOver; Android Chrome + TalkBack
- Reflow testing: Viewport resize testing at 320, 375, 768, 1024, and 1440 px
We plan a formal re-audit every 12 months and after any significant update to the site. This statement will be updated to reflect the results of each audit.
Getting information in another format
If you need information from this website in a different format — including large print, easy read, audio, British Sign Language (BSL), or another language — please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
We acknowledge requests within 3 working days and aim to provide the requested format within 10 working days. If we cannot meet that timescale, we will let you know and discuss alternatives.
BSL interpretation
BSL interpretation can be arranged for in-clinic appointments with a minimum of 48 hours’ notice, at no additional cost. Please inform us when booking.
Translation services
Telephone interpretation for a range of languages can be arranged for clinical consultations. Please notify us of your language requirement when booking your appointment.
Enforcement procedure
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC):
- Website: equalityhumanrights.com
- Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) helpline: 0808 800 0082
- Textphone: 0808 800 0084
This accessibility statement was published and last reviewed in May 2026. We review it annually and after any significant change to the website.
We will always find
a way to help you.
Whether you need content in a different format, an alternative booking method, language support, or BSL interpretation — please get in touch and we will make it happen.
Email:
accessibility@veritaspharmacy.co.uk
Phone:
BSL available · Translation services · Large print · Easy read · No additional cost