Corporate document
Footnotes
Why are we doing this?
Screen readers do not understand footnotes in the web versions of our guidelines. They just read out the number, without mentioning it's a footnote (or even that it's superscript). And they will not flag up the link to the footnote text.
In addition to the problems for people who use screen readers, footnotes do not work very well for anyone when they're on a web page. You have to jump to the end of the page to read them, and then click on the footnote again to jump back. Not everyone will know to click on the footnote at the end, so they may lose their place. And if the footnote is repeated several times, clicking on this link might take you to the wrong place anyway.
Watch a short video about the changes we are making to footnotes.
Common types of footnote
Off-label prescribing
Replace the footnote with an extra sentence at the end of the recommendation:
In [month year of publication], this was an off-label use. See NICE's information on prescribing medicines.
If there are multiple drugs recommended, and only some are off-label:
In [month year of publication], this was an off-label use of donepezil and rivastigmine. See NICE's information on prescribing medicines.
If there are several recs in one section that would all have the same footnote, add a box to the start of the section:
In May 2019, the use of budesonide, mesalazine, olsalazine and balsalazide as described in recommendations 1.2.3 and 1.2.4 was off label. See NICE's information on prescribing medicines.
MHRA safety warnings
Replace the footnote with an extra sentence at the end of the recommendation:
Follow the MHRA safety advice on Respimat and Handihaler inhalers.
Note that some safety warnings may need more substantial wording. For example, recommendations on sodium valproate or opioids.