This accessibility statement applies to the NHS Electronic Staff Record website and the related systems and dashboards accessed through it.
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 up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard or speech recognition software (Dragon)
- listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent version of NVDA)
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:
- some text does not have sufficient colour contrast
- on some pages, images have redundant alternative text or no alternative text
- some pages do not have a language attribute, which may affect pronunciation for screen reader users
- some users may find it difficult to move quickly to forms from dashboard pages, and keyboard users may have to move through the same content repeatedly before reaching a form
- in some areas, users may find it difficult to navigate using speech recognition software
- some users may find the online payslip difficult to use because some options are positioned very close together
- some users may find it difficult to navigate parts of the Talent Profile dashboard using a keyboard
- some users may find parts of the website difficult to understand because some embedded content is not clearly labelled
- some users may find parts of the dashboards difficult to understand because some visual elements are missing text descriptions
- some users may find parts of the website difficult to use because information and relationships are not always presented in a clear, consistent way
- some users may find tables on dashboard pages difficult to understand or navigate, particularly when using assistive technology
- some documents linked from this website may not be fully accessible and may be difficult to navigate or understand using assistive technology
- some parts of the website include third-party content which may not fully meet accessibility standards
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: [email protected]
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: [email protected]
Help with your account
If you need help with your account, to reset your password or update your details for example, contact your local system administrator. You can find their contact details and other information and support on our ESR Finding help and support webpage.
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 listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
Contrast and Presentation
Some text on the ESR Hub and related dashboards does not have sufficient colour contrast. This means some users may find it difficult to read the text. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)).
Some images on dashboard pages do not have appropriate text alternatives. In some cases, screen readers may repeat information unnecessarily, and in other cases images do not have alternative text at all. This means users who cannot see the images may not understand their purpose or content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
Navigation and accessing information
Some dashboard pages do not have a language attribute set. Screen readers rely on this information to use the correct pronunciation rules, so content may not be read out correctly for some users. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.1.1 (Language of Page).
When users select forms from tables on dashboard pages, they are taken through an intermediate page before reaching the form. This page contains repeated navigation that cannot be skipped. Keyboard users must move through the same content each time before reaching the form, which makes navigation slower and more difficult. This issue occurs on multiple dashboards and fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks).
Some dashboard pages cannot be fully navigated using speech recognition software because some interactive elements do not have accessible labels. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.3 (Label in Name).
The online payslip includes 2 selectable options that are positioned very close together. This can make it difficult for some users to select the correct option when using assistive technology. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.8 (Target Size (Minimum)).
On the Talent Profile dashboard, some interactive elements cannot be reached using a keyboard. This means some users may not be able to access all parts of the page. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.1.1 (Keyboard).
Some dashboards include embedded content that does not provide clear information to assistive technologies. In some cases, embedded content is missing descriptive labels or uses incorrect roles, which can make it difficult for users to understand or interact with the content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value).
Some dashboards use visual elements that do not have descriptive text labels. Assistive technologies rely on these labels to convey information, so users may miss important content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.1.1 (Non-text Content).
In some places, information and relationships are not correctly structured. This can make it harder for assistive technologies to interpret and present content accurately. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
Tables
Some dashboard pages contain tables where the table headers are missing or not marked up correctly. This means assistive technology users may find it difficult to understand the relationships between table data. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships).
PDFs and other documents
Some PDFs and documents linked from this website are not fully accessible. For example, some documents may be difficult to navigate, understand, or read using assistive technology. This is because they may not be structured correctly or may be missing text alternatives for images.
This can make them difficult to navigate or use with assistive technology. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criteria 1.1.1 (Non-text Content), 1.3.1 (Info and Relationships), 1.4.3 (Contrast (Minimum)), and 2.4.6 (Headings and Labels).
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
JavaScript
Some functionality on the website relies on JavaScript. For example, search filters on the search results page are not accessible when JavaScript is disabled.
PDFs and other documents
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018 if they are not essential to providing our services. For example, we do not plan to fix historic strategies, business plans and annual reports.
Third-party tools and content
Some content on this website is provided by third parties. We do not control the accessibility of this content and it may not fully meet accessibility standards.
This includes content uploaded by external organisations and embedded content such as social media feeds.
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 10 February 2026. It was last reviewed on the 10 February 2026.
This statement replaces the previous accessibility statements for the ESR Portal (originally prepared on 8 October 2020) and the ESR Hub (originally prepared on 20 September 2020).
This website was last tested on 14 November 2025 against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
The test was carried out by IBM UK Ltd. The most viewed pages were tested using automated testing tools by their website team. A further audit of the website was carried out to the WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
IBM UK Ltd tested all the website screens to meet ‘AA’ WCAG 2.2 standards, using manual and automated tests.
IBM UK Ltd run each webpage through automated Wave and IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker accessibility tools, then various manual tests are undertaken.