This accessibility statement applies to the NHS Jobs website for applicants.
This website is run by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this website. For example, that means you should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings
- zoom in most of the website up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard or speech recognition software (Voice Control and Dragon)
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent version of NVDA and VoiceOver)
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible, as:
- the primary navigation bar menu options are inconsistent on most of the pages when zoomed in 175% or more
- when JavaScript is disabled, the menu button in the primary navigation bar disappears at zoom levels above 175%
- on some pages, the input field does not contain visible labels - users of assistive technology may find it difficult to identify the purpose and type of the input element
- users of assistive technologies may face difficulties while changing their password as the error message displayed after 3 incorrect attempts is unclear - it does not contain a link to shift the user focus to the corresponding input field causing the error
- in a focused state, some links have insufficient colour contrast which may make the text not visible to some users
- on some pages, the change link does not take the user to the intended input fields
- in the downloadable PDF documents, headings, lists, tables and reading order are not tagged correctly – this may mean screen reader users are unable to identify them or navigate through them
- the primary text language of the document is not specified, which means screen reader users will have difficulties switching to the appropriate language
- in some PDFs, document titles are not correctly tagged, which can make it difficult for screen reader users to identify the document’s purpose
- downloadable PDF documents do not follow a logical order when using the Tab or Shift-Tab keys to navigate, which will cause difficulties for users navigating with a keyboard
- downloadable PDF documents contain images with no alternate text which will cause difficulties for screen reader users
- on some pages, error messages do not take the user to the intended input fields - this may mean it is difficult for users to select those fields
- on some pages, when tabbed, input fields are not focused fully or partially scrolled into view - this may cause difficulties for users who need to scroll further to go to the intended input field
- on some pages, input fields are not focused by tabbing
- screen reader users may experience difficulties as search results as the search filter options are read multiple times on the Search results page
- screen reader users may experience difficulties as page links are not read in order on the Search results page
- screen reader users may experience difficulties when opening footer links as they open in a new tab without informing the user
- the email link does not respond to VoiceControl making contacting NHS Jobs difficult for some users
- on some pages, differences in the URL and page titles may cause difficulty for screen reader users
- some pages may be difficult to understand for users of certain assistive technologies as images have redundant alternative text
- on some pages, selecting an option from a drop-down menu may automatically refresh or reload the page
- on some pages, form sections do not have descriptive headings
- a few sections of the site lack a first-level heading, affecting how screen reader users interact with the main content
- Dragon may incorrectly highlight links on certain pages as it may not recognise them as actionable elements
- on some pages, the skip link content obscures the NHS logo, which may cause issues with visual clarity and navigation
- skip links may not consistently move focus to the main content, which can affect navigation for users of VoiceOver
- when using VoiceOver in Safari, form errors triggered when using a keyboard may shift focus to the wrong element, making it difficult for screen reader users to access the correct error message
- on the 'Apply on NHS Jobs' page, the navigation in the 'Further information for applicants' section is not in a logical order
Feedback and contact information
Contact us if you need information about this website in a different format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille. We’ll consider your request and get back to you within 5 working days.
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, you can contact us using the same email address:
Email: accessibility@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
This email address is only for accessibility queries. It is not for technical queries or IT problems. If you have a query that is not about accessibility, you can contact us by:
Email: nhsbsa.nhsjobs@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’).
If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
The NHSBSA is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
The primary navigation bar menu options are inconsistent on most of the pages when zoomed in 175% or more. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow).
When JavaScript is disabled, the menu button in the primary navigation bar disappears at zoom levels above 175%. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.4.10 (Reflow) and 4.1 (Compatible).
On some pages, the input field does not contain visible labels - users of assistive technology may find it difficult to identify the purpose and type of the input element. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 3.3.2 (Labels or Instructions).
Users of assistive technologies may face difficulties while changing their password as the error message displayed after 3 incorrect attempts is unclear - it does not contain a link to shift the user focus to the corresponding input field causing the error. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 3.3.1 (Error Identification) and 3.3.3 (Error Suggestion).
In a focused state, some links have insufficient colour contrast which may make the text not visible to some users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.4.13 (Focus Appearance), 2.4.7 (Focus Visible) and 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum).
On some pages, the change link does not take the user to the intended input fields. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.7 (Focus Visible).
In the downloadable PDF documents, headings, lists, tables and reading order are not tagged correctly – this may mean screen reader users are unable to identify them or navigate through them. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 1.3.2 (Meaningful Sequence).
The primary text language of the document is not specified, which means screen reader users will have difficulties switching to the appropriate language. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page).
In some PDFs, document titles are not correctly tagged, which can make it difficult for screen reader users to identify the document’s purpose. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.2 (Page Titled).
Downloadable PDF documents do not follow a logical order when using the Tab or Shift-Tab keys to navigate, which will cause difficulties for users navigating with a keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.3 (Focus Order).
Downloadable PDF documents contain images with no alternate text which will cause difficulties for screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).
On some pages, error messages do not take the user to the intended input fields - this may mean it is difficult for users to select those fields. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.1 (Error Identification).
On some pages, when tabbed, input fields are not focused fully or partially scrolled into view - this may cause difficulties for users who need to scroll further to go to the intended input field. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.7 (Focus Visible).
On some pages, input fields are not focused by tabbing. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.1 (Keyboard Accessible).
Screen reader users may experience difficulties as search results and the search filter options are read multiple times on the Search result page. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, role, value).
Screen reader users may experience difficulties as page links are not read in order on the Search results page. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, role, value).
Screen reader users may experience difficulties when opening footer links as they open in a new tab without informing the user. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.6 (Identify Purpose) and 2.4.4 (Link Purpose).
The email link does not respond to Voice Control making contacting NHS Jobs difficult for some users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.4 (Link Purpose in Context).
On some pages, differences in the URL and page titles may cause difficulty for screen reader users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4 (Negotiable).
Some pages may be difficult to understand for users of certain assistive technologies as images have redundant alternative text. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.1.1 (Keyboard) and 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
On some pages, selecting an option from a drop-down menu may automatically refresh or reload the page. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 2.1.1 (Keyboard) and 3.2.2 (On Input).
On some pages, form sections do not have descriptive headings. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
A few sections of the site lack a first-level heading, affecting how screen reader users interact with the main content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships) and 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).
Dragon may incorrectly highlight links on certain pages as it may not recognise them as actionable elements. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value) and 2.4.7 (Focus Visible).
On some pages, the skip link content obscures the NHS logo, which may cause issues with visual clarity and navigation. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.11 and 2.4.12 (Focus Not Obscured).
Skip links may not consistently move focus to the main content, which can affect navigation for users of VoiceOver. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks).
When using VoiceOver in Safari, form errors triggered when using keyboard may shift focus to the wrong element, making it difficult for screen reader users to access the correct error message. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.1 (Error Identification).
On the 'Apply on NHS Jobs' page, the navigation in the 'Further information for applicants' section is not in a logical order. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.3 (Focus Order).
We plan to fix these issues. When we publish new content, we’ll make sure it meets accessibility standards.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and other documents
Some of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. For example, we have PDFs with information on how users can access our services, and forms published as Word documents. We plan to either fix these or replace them with accessible HTML pages.
Features and structural elements
Many features on the website need to be accessibility-reviewed to make sure they’re implemented correctly for users with accessibility needs.
The structure of the website screens needs to be reviewed to make sure they meet accessibility guidelines.
The use of ARIA labels on the website needs to be reviewed to make sure they meet accessibility guidelines.
Although these do not fail WCAG 2.2 success criteria, we aim to review these areas. This will make sure we meet all accessibility standards on our website.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
We’re committed to making sure this website is compliant to WCAG 2.2 ‘AA’ standard.
Our accessibility compliance statement will be reviewed regularly. Every newly released website will be designed, built, and tested to meet ‘AA’ standards by default.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was originally prepared on 17 September 2019. It was last reviewed on 14 July 2025.
This website was last tested on 29 April 2025.
The test was carried out by the NHSBSA test and development teams. The most viewed pages were tested using automated testing tools by our website team. A further audit of the website was carried out to the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
We tested all the website screens to meet ‘AA’ WCAG 2.2 standards, using manual and automated tests.
We run each webpage through automated Wave, Lighthouse and Axe accessibility tools and then manually test with screen readers (NVDA and VoiceOver) and standards checklists.
We run representative user journey tests through speech recognition software (Dragon or VoiceControl).
The checklists contain standards that have been compiled using WCAG, the NHS service manual and Government Digital Service (GDS) guidance.