EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01HRS GMT WEDNESDAY 9 MAY 2007

The Royal Society of Medicine website undergoes a major overhaul

The Royal Society of Medicine has now launched its new website at www.rsm.ac.uk. This marks a dramatic improvement with a completely new design and layout that improves navigability, accessibility and usability.

The new website has been developed so that it is structured around the needs of its users, and was created following consultation with Members and other users of the website. Upcoming events and latest media releases are now featured on the homepage as well as quick access to frequently visited pages. A new feature on the website includes print-friendly versions of individual web pages.

The design incorporates an improved look and feel reflecting the branding used on all other RSM materials.

The website was created by the RSM web team with assistance from the digital agency Steel who designed the look and feel of the website. The new website reaches level A of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and in future months will be further improved.

Now that the first phase of the RSM’s website redevelopment has been completed, the RSM are beginning work to include member access to online medical databases and ejournals.

A key development for the new website will be the introduction of webcasting of RSM meetings. The first of these will be a lecture by the immediate past President Sir John Lilleyman ‘Mishaps in medicine: Will we ever learn?’ on 14 May 2007. Members and Non-Members will be able to view and download a video and audio file of this presentation online within a few days of the lecture taking place. Webcasting of meetings in the future will serve to provide a great benefit to Members unable to attend London based meetings.

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