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Update messages guidance
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CHANGELOG.md

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# NHS digital service manual Changelog
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## Unreleased
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## 8.7.0 - 17 February 2026
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:new: **New features**
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- Add guidance on planning and writing text messages and emails
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- Add guidance on writing NHS messages to the content guide
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## 8.6.1 - 26 January 2026
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app/views/content/writing-nhs-messages.njk

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{% call insetText({
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classes: "nhsuk-u-margin-top-4"
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}) %}
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<p>If you need guidance on messaging strategy, governance requirements, or using NHS Notify visit the <a href="#">NHS Messaging best practice website</a>.</p>
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<p>If you need guidance on messaging strategy, governance requirements, or using NHS Notify visit the <a href="#">NHS messaging best practice website</a>.</p>
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{% endcall %}
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<p>Use this guidance if you want to:</p>
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<li>make content inclusive and accessible</li>
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<li>find examples and templates to reference when writing your message</li>
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</ul>
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<p>This guidance was developed with input from clinical safety, governance and delivery teams across NHS England. It brings together established writing standards and findings from user research into how NHS messages are read and understood.</p>
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<p>It sits alongside the NHS Messaging best practice website so teams can plan, write and send messages in a joined-up and consistent way.</p>
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<p>It was developed with input from clinical safety, governance and delivery teams across NHS England. It brings together established writing standards and findings from user research into how NHS messages are read and understood.</p>
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<p>It sits alongside the NHS messaging best practice website so teams can plan, write and send messages in a joined-up and consistent way.</p>
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<h2 id="writing-effective-messages">Writing effective messages</h2>
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<p>When writing your message always consider the needs of the patient, any clinical safety requirements and the channel you are using to send the message.</p>
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<h2 id="how-to-write-for-different-channels">Writing for different channels</h2>
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<p>If your service has a fallback strategy you may be required to write the same message for multiple channels.</p>
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<p>Writing messages specifically for the channel means users are more likely to understand and engage with important health-related requests or advice. For example, copying and pasting the contents of a letter into a text message or App message is bad practice as this can create formatting issues and could result in a poor user experience.</p>
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<p>Find out how to write for different channels by referring to the specific channel guidance on this page.</p>
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<p>Writing messages specifically for the channel means users are more likely to understand and engage with important health-related requests or advice. For example, copying and pasting the contents of a letter into a text message or NHS App message is bad practice as this can create formatting issues and could result in a poor user experience.</p>
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<p>Find out how to write for different channels by referring to the specific channel guidance on this page. The examples illustrate how this guidance can be applied in practice. You should test your messages to make sure they meet the needs of your users.</p>
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<h2 id="nhs-app-messages">NHS App messages</h2>
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<p>The NHS App is a free and secure way to communicate with patients and the public. Consider the following when writing messages for the App.</p>
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<p>The NHS App is a free and secure way to communicate with patients and the public. Consider the following when writing messages for the NHS App.</p>
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<h3 id="greeting-app">Greeting</h3>
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<p>If you start your message with a greeting make sure you use "Dear" followed by the patient's name and not "Hi" or similar.</p>
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<p>Avoid using just a last name or first name without a greeting as it can sound impersonal.</p>
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<h3 id="protecting-people-from-spam-and-phishing-app">Protecting people from spam and phishing</h3>
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<p>To access messages in the App, patients need to go through NHS login. This means App messages are more secure than email messages or text. Research has shown patients are more likely to trust links in the NHS App, and because the App is secure you can use text links rather than having to write out the full URL as in a text message or email.</p>
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<p><a href="https://notify.nhs.uk/using-nhs-notify/links-and-urls">Find out how to use text links and URLs in an App message on the NHS Notify website</a>.</p>
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<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 email messages or text. 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 as in a text message or email.</p>
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<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>
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<h3 id="telling-patients-who-your-message-is-from-app">Telling patients who your message is from</h3>
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<p>Patients and the public are more likely to trust a message if they know who sent it. You can choose the sender name that is displayed with your App message when you onboard with NHS Notify.</p>
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<p>Your sender name can help patients quickly identify your service, for example "NHS vaccination invitations", "NHS App" or "Tree Tops Medical Practice". Due to the way sender name is displayed in the App you may consider not using a signature at the end of your message.</p>
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<p>Patients and the public are more likely to trust a message if they know who sent it. You can choose the sender name that is displayed with your NHS App message when you onboard with NHS Notify.</p>
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<p>Your sender name can help patients quickly identify your service, for example "NHS vaccination invitations", "NHS App" or "Tree Tops Medical Practice". Due to the way sender name is displayed in the NHS App it is not necessary to use a signature at the end of your message.</p>
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<p><a href="https://notify.nhs.uk/using-nhs-notify/tell-recipients-who-your-messages-are-from#nhs-app-sender-name%22%20HYPERLINK%20%22https://notify.nhs.uk/using-nhs-notify/tell-recipients-who-your-messages-are-from#nhs-app-sender-name">Read more about sender names on the NHS Notify website</a>.</p>
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<h3 id="length-of-message-app">Length of message</h3>
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<p>NHS App messages can be up to 5,000 characters, but research shows some patients will only read the first part of the message.</p>
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<p>NHS App messages can be up to 5,000 characters including spaces, but research shows some patients will only read the first part of the message.</p>
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<p>Make longer messages easier for your reader to scan by:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>keeping messages concise</li>
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<li>using bullet point lists and section headings</li>
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</ul>
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<h3 id="app-message-examples">App message examples</h3>
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<h3 id="nhs-app-message-examples">NHS App message examples</h3>
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{% call details({
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summaryText: "Example 1 of an NHS App message",
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<p>HPV is the name of a very common group of viruses. They do not cause any problems in most people, but high-risk types can cause cervical cancer.</p>
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<p><strong>Why you're being invited</strong></p>
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<p>Our records show you have been invited for cervical screening, previously known as a "smear test", but have not attended or not attended in a while.</p>
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<p>Cervical screening tests for high-risk HPV can let you know if you're at risk of developing cervical cancer.</p>
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<p>Cervical screening tests for high-risk HPV and can let you know if you're at risk of developing cervical cancer.</p>
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<p>However, for those who have not had regular cervical screening, we're offering an alternative option called HPV self-testing.</p>
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<p><strong>What HPV self-testing is</strong></p>
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<p>HPV self-testing checks for high-risk HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancers.</p>
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</ul>
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<h3 id="formatting-text">Formatting</h3>
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<p>Text messages do not support formatting such as bullet points, numbered lists, bold text or headings. However, you can use paragraph breaks to make them more readable. If you are condensing a longer message into a text message, make sure it works without formatting.</p>
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<p>Text messages do not support formatting such as bullet points, numbered lists, bold text or headings. If you are condensing a longer message into a text message, make sure it works without formatting. Use paragraph or line breaks to make text messages easier to read.</p>
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<p><a href="https://notify.nhs.uk/using-nhs-notify/formatting">Find out more about message formatting on the NHS Notify website</a>.</p>
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summaryText: "Example 1 of an NHS text message",
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classes: "nhsuk-expander"
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}) %}
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<p><strong>SenderID:</strong> Blood Test</p>
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<p>((firstName))((lastName)), you are due for your NHS blood test. Book your appointment or find out more at <a href="#">http://www.nhs.uk/blood-test-invite</a></p>
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<p><strong>SenderID:</strong> NHS Blood Test</p>
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<p>((firstName))((lastName)), you are due for your NHS blood test. Book your appointment or find out more at <a href="#">http://www.nhs.uk/service-name-invite</a></p>
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{% endcall %}
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{% call details({
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<p>Subject: NHS ((serviceName)) invitation</p>
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<p>Dear ((firstName))((lastName)),</p>
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<p>We are inviting you for your NHS ((serviceName)) appointment.</p>
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<p>Find more information about your service name invite, including how to book your appointment: <a href="#">https://www.nhs.uk/service-name-invite</a>.</p>
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<p>Find more information about your ((serviceName)) invite, including how to book your appointment: <a href="#">https://www.nhs.uk/service-name-invite</a>.</p>
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<p>Yours sincerely,</p>
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<p>((serviceName))</p>
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{% endcall %}

app/views/index.njk

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href: "/whats-new",
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classes: "app-card--transparent nhsuk-u-margin-0"
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}) %}
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<p class="nhsuk-card__description">We've added a <a href="/design-system/components/file-upload">file upload component</a>, an <a href="/design-system/patterns/interruption-page">interruption page</a>, and updated the <a href="/standards-and-technology/service-standard">NHS service standard</a>, especially points 16 and 17.</p>
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<p class="nhsuk-card__description">We've added guidance on <a href="/content/writing-nhs-messages">writing NHS messages</a> to the content guide.</p>
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{% endcall %}
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</div>
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</div>

app/views/whats-new/index.njk

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<h2>Latest updates</h2>
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<h3>January 2026</h3>
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<h3>February 2026</h3>
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{% set contentHtml %}
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<p>Added new entries for <a href="/content/a-to-z-of-nhs-health-writing#addresses">addresses</a> and <a href="/content/a-to-z-of-nhs-health-writing#wi-fi">Wi-Fi</a> to A to Z in content guide</p>
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<p>Updated entries for <a href="/content/a-to-z-of-nhs-health-writing#seizure-fit">seizure (fit)</a> and <a href="/content/a-to-z-of-nhs-health-writing#temperature">temperature</a> in A to Z</p>
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<p>Specified that we use en dashes in our guidance on <a href="/content/punctuation#hyphens-and-dashes">hyphens and dashes</a></p>
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<p>Added "third party" to guidance on <a href="/content/numbers-measurements-dates-time#numbers">numbers</a> (section on ordinal numbers)</p>
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{% endset %}
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{% set designHtml %}
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<p>Added <a href="/design-system/components/file-upload">file upload component</a></p>
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<p>Added <a href="/design-system/patterns/interruption-page">interruption page pattern</a> and added <a href="/design-system/components/panel#interruption-panel">interruption panel on panel component page</a></p>
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<p>Added <a href="/design-system/components/summary-list#summary-cards">summary cards to summary list component</a></p>
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{% endset %}
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{% set standardHtml %}
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<p>Updated <a href="/standards-and-technology/service-standard">NHS service standard</a>, including:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>amending the page summary for service standard 3 to align with GOV's</li>
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<li>updating and adding links in service standards 5 and 11</li>
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<li>bringing service standard 13 into closer alignment with GOV's</li>
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<li>updating service standard 16 with clinical colleagues</li>
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<li>reviewing service standard 17 with interoperability standards team</li>
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<li>updating outdated references to NHS Digital and fixing broken links</li>
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<p>Added guidance on <a href="/content/writing-nhs-messages">writing NHS messages</a> to the content guide</p>
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{% endset %}
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{{ table({
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caption: "Updates to the service manual in January 2026",
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caption: "Updates to the service manual in February 2026",
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head: [
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{
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html: contentHtml
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[
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app/views/whats-new/updates.njk

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{% block bodyContent %}
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<h2>February 2026</h2>
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{% set contentHtml202601 %}
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<p>Added guidance on <a href="/content/writing-nhs-messages">writing NHS messages</a> to the content guide</p>
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{% endset %}
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{{ table({
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caption: "Updates to the service manual in January 2026",
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captionClasses: "nhsuk-u-visually-hidden",
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head: [
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{
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text: "Section",
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classes: "nhsuk-u-width-one-quarter"
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},
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{
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text: "Update"
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}
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],
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rows: [
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[
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{
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text: "Content guide"
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},
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{
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html: contentHtml202601
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}
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}) }}
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<h2>January 2026</h2>
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{% set contentHtml202601 %}

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