By name: nhs-user-stories description: 'Use when writing user stories, acceptance criteria, or persona definitions for an NHS digital health service.'
NHS User Stories — Writing Standards
This skill helps write user stories and acceptance criteria for NHS services, incorporating NHS-specific personas, accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.2 AA), and clinical safety acceptance criteria.
When to Use
- Writing new user stories for NHS features
- Defining acceptance criteria for GitHub Issues
- Creating personas for NHS user research
- Reviewing stories for completeness against NHS standards
NHS Personas
Use these archetypes (adapt names and details for your service):
| Persona | Role | Needs | Constraints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah | Patient, 35 | Book appointments, view results | Uses mobile, moderate digital literacy |
| James | Patient, 72 | Manage prescriptions | Low digital confidence, uses screen magnifier |
| Dr. Patel | GP | Review patient history quickly | Time-pressured (10-min appointments), desktop |
| Nurse Chen | Practice nurse | Record observations | Shared workstation, standing |
| Admin Mo | Receptionist | Manage bookings, triage calls | Multi-tasking, keyboard-only workflow |
User Story Format
As a [persona],
I need to [action],
So that [benefit].
Acceptance Criteria
Every story MUST include these categories:
Functional
- Given/When/Then format for testable behaviour
Accessibility (mandatory for all NHS stories)
- Keyboard navigable (Tab, Enter, Escape, Arrow keys)
- Screen reader announces purpose and state changes
- Meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA — see NHS accessibility guidance
- Uses NHS Design System components — see NHS Design System
Clinical Safety (if applicable)
- No clinical data is displayed incorrectly
- Error states do not lead to clinical misinterpretation
- Time-sensitive data shows currency/freshness
Data Protection
- Only minimum necessary data is collected
- PII is not exposed in URLs, logs, or error messages
- Consent or lawful basis is documented
Example
As Sarah (patient),
I need to view my upcoming appointments,
So that I can plan my schedule.
Acceptance Criteria:
- [ ] Given I am logged in, when I navigate to /appointments, then I see my future appointments in date order
- [ ] Given I have no appointments, when I navigate to /appointments, then I see a clear message "You have no upcoming appointments"
- [ ] Page is keyboard navigable and screen reader accessible
- [ ] NHS header, breadcrumbs, and footer are present
- [ ] No NHS number or DOB exposed in the URL
- [ ] Page meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA (verified via axe-core)