Merge pull request #2503 from nhsuk/messaging-guidance-greeting-updates

Make messaging content updates re greetings

Author: colinrotherham

app/views/content/writing-nhs-messages.njk

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 {% set pageTitle = "Writing NHS messages" %}
 {% set pageSection = "Content guide" %}
 {% set pageDescription = "How to write NHS App messages, text messages, emails and letters for patients and the public, with advice on structure, tone and wording so your message is effective and easy to understand." %}
-{% set dateUpdated = "March 2026" %}
+{% set dateUpdated = "April 2026" %}
 {% set backlog_issue_id = "450" %}
 
 {% block beforeContent %}
@@ -120,6 +120,20 @@
 
 <p>Avoid using just a last name or first name without a greeting as it can sound impersonal.</p>
 
+<h4>Parent, carer and proxy</h4>
+<p>If you are writing to an adult who has another person looking after their health (sometimes called a proxy), greet the patient and not their carer to avoid confusion over who the communication is intended for.</p>
+<p>Try to avoid using the word "proxy". Research has shown users prefer "carer" or "trusted person".</p> 
+<p>However, for newborns or children greet the parent or carer. Try to include an identifying detail such as the name or date of birth of the child in the body of the message.</p>
+<div class="app-example app-example--content">
+  {{ tag({
+    text: "Example",
+    classes: "app-example__heading"
+  }) }}
+<p>for children – "Dear parent or carer, we are inviting your child born in ((month)) ((year)) for free NHS vaccinations to keep them healthy."</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>You can apply this guidance for greeting carers across all channels, including text messages, emails and paper letters.</p>
+
 <h3 id="protecting-people-from-spam-and-phishing-app">Protecting people from spam and phishing</h3>
 <p>To access messages in the NHS App, patients need to go through NHS login and prove their identity. This means NHS App messages are more secure than emails or text messages. Research has shown patients are more likely to trust links in the NHS App, and because the NHS App is secure you can use text links rather than having to write out the full URL.</p>
 <p><a href="https://notify.nhs.uk/using-nhs-notify/links-and-urls">Find out how to use text links and URLs in an NHS App message on the NHS Notify website</a>.</p>