Formatting and punctuation

[Tosin-Balogun]

Use this issue to discuss the guidance on formatting and punctuation in the service manual.

We also have GitHub issues for some of the sections on the page. If you want to comment on a specific issue, and there is already an issue for it, please use that issue.

• bulleted lists: alternative patterns
• formatting and punctuation - Using full stops, quotation marks and bold for UI and content

[sarawilcox]

I've been asked about capitalisation in NHS trusts and health boards. I believe that we only capitalise "trust" or "health board" if it's the name of a particular trust etc. E.g. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
@mattbancroft23, is this right?

[sarawilcox]

Content Design London advice on acronyms:

What's our view on hover text? @mcheung-nhs, do you know?

[sarawilcox]

Contractions - "On http://GOV.UK Verify we regularly saw people read 'you can't ...' as 'you can ...".

[albfreeman]

I've seen a few contractions used that we might want to consider avoiding, and which are not currently covered in the service manual. Some contractions can introduce ambiguity, while there are others that I feel are less easy to read than the full words.

An example of an ambiguous contraction is "baby's" used instead of "baby is". This contraction could be confused with a possessive s. Compare these 2 sentences:

"It's important to sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment."
"Lots of mums wonder if their baby's feeding well..."

I feel the second sentence above would be easier to read and understand if written as "...if their baby is feeding well...".

An example of a contraction that I think might not be easy to read or understand is "it'll". I don't have evidence about the ease of understanding this, but I suspect it's not as commonly understood as other contractions we use. I think "it will" would be easier to read, and would still not be too formal. Here are a couple of sentences I've seen that I think could be improved without "it'll":

"Don't rinse your mouth immediately after brushing, as it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the remaining toothpaste."

"Keep the injured part of the body supported in the position it'll be in when the bandage is on."

[sarawilcox]

"One (or more) of the following" in bulleted list lead-in lines - some info from the NHS.UK team

We sometimes get questions about lead-in lines, asking if we can say: “one or more of the following”? So far as we know, most users interpret a bulleted list to mean “any of the following”, including “1 or more”. I’m not sure we need to spell it out.

Sometimes we use the word “include”. For example, “symptoms may include”.

When it really is just 1 of the following, GOV.UK suggests: “You can only register a pension scheme that is (one of the following):’”

An example of "if all apply":

In care cards, we try to make each bullet more of a standalone statement, rather than just a list - e.g.

See a GP if:

• you have back pain for more than 2 weeks
• you have pain in your upper back
• you have back pain and a high temperature

Rather than..

See a GP if you have back pain:

• that lasts more than 2 weeks
• affects your upper back
• with a high temperature

Not tested though.

[sarawilcox]

At July 2024 Style Council meeting, we agreed to add the following to the content guide:

"Do not use capital letters in phrases that refer to a geographical area but are now part of everyday speech. For example:

cheddar cheese  

french fries  

rubella (german measles)" 

Now with clinicians for approval before we publish.

[sarawilcox]

To be published 19 September. Approved by clinical team.