How to write for HSE digital services - Punctuation and formatting

Sentence case

We use sentence case, including for page titles.

Commas

Use commas to indicate a pause. But do not include too many commas in one sentence. Break sentences up if they become longer than 20 words.

No comma after 'but'

We use the word 'but' instead of 'however' because it is easier to understand.

Do not add a comma after 'but' if it is at the start of a sentence.

Example

There is no cure for this disease. But there are treatments to help reduce the impact it has on your daily life.

Avoid comma before 'and'

Only use a comma before 'and' (Oxford comma) in cases where sentences are complex or confusing. Otherwise, do not use a comma before 'and'.

Full stops

We do not use full stops in:

• headings
• page titles
• lead text at the top of a landing page - when it's only one sentence
• buttons
• action links
• link description text on a landing page
• meta descriptions
• teaser text
• titles (Dr, Mr, Ms, Prof)
• am or pm
• bullet lists without titles

Apostrophes

Use apostrophes to show positive contractions.

A contraction is a word made by shortening and combining 2 words. Apostrophes are used to show contractions such as it's (it is), we'll (we will), you'll (you will).

We only use positive contractions in website content.

Do not use unusual contractions such as would've, should've, could've and they've.

✅ Good examples

We'll email you when your application is approved.

It's a common childhood illness.

Negative contractions

Do not use negative contractions (don't, can't, wouldn't, won't).

Instead use 'do not', 'cannot', 'would not' and 'will not'.

Research has shown that some people rely on reading the word 'not' to understand what is being said.

✅ Good example

Do not give aspirin to a child who has chickenpox.

❌ Bad example

Don't give aspirin to a child who has chickenpox.

Use apostrophes to show possession with nouns

To correctly show possession by using an apostrophe, first ask - 'Who or what is doing the possessing?'

The apostrophe will go straight after the noun that is the answer.

For example:

• Whose report is it?
• It is the consultant's report.

Sometimes, you will add an apostrophe and an 's'. Sometimes, you will add only an apostrophe. Follow the guidance below to understand which option to choose.

Noun possession guidance

Noun possession guidance

Noun type	Rule	Example
Noun type Singular words not ending in 's'	Rule Add an apostrophe and an 's'	Example ✅ a patient's test results ❌ a patients' test results
Noun type Singular words (including names) ending in 's'	Rule Add an apostrophe only	Example ✅ Dr Steevens' Hospital ❌ Dr Steeven's Hospital
Noun type Plural words not ending in 's'	Rule Add an apostrophe and an 's'	Example ✅ women's health concerns ❌ womens' health concerns
Noun type Plural words ending in 's'	Rule Add an apostrophe only	Example ✅ both committees' reports ❌ both committee's reports
Noun type Abbreviations and acronyms	Rule Follow the same rules that apply to full words, as above	Example ✅ the HSE's budget was set ❌ the HSEs budget was set

An exception to the rules

Sometimes a hospital, clinic, or organisation will have a name that doesn't align with the guidance above. We will always follow the style an organisation uses in their name.

For example:

✅ St James's Hospital

❌ St James' Hospital

When to use it's or its

Use an apostrophe (it's) to show the shortened version of 'it is' or 'it has', as a contraction. Do not use an apostrophe with 'its' when showing that 'it' owns something (possession). Never use an apostrophe after 'its' (its').

Another way to think about this is, if you can divide 'it's' into 'it is' or 'it has', then you need to use an apostrophe (it's). Otherwise, 'its' does not have an apostrophe.

When to use it's or its

✅ Good examples	❌ Bad examples
✅ Good examples It's a free service.	❌ Bad examples Its a free service.
✅ Good examples It's time to give the board its terms of reference.	❌ Bad examples Its time to give the board it's terms of reference.
✅ Good examples The hospital changed its visiting hours.	❌ Bad examples The hospital changed its' visiting hours.
✅ Good examples The hospital will update its website.	❌ Bad examples The hospital will update its' website.

Do not use apostrophes to make words plural

Do not use apostrophes to make words plural. This rule also applies to plurals of acronyms, abbreviations and figures.

Apostrophes in plurals

✅ Good examples	❌ Bad examples
✅ Good examples The disease was eradicated in the 1980s.	❌ Bad examples The disease was eradicated in the 1980's.
✅ Good examples There are many GPs in the area.	❌ Bad examples There are many GP's in the area.

Time and apostrophes

Do not use apostrophes in plural expressions of time.

Phrases about plural time periods can often be descriptive, rather than possessive. (Or, the idea of possession can be vague.)

To make things clearer for our users, we do not use apostrophes in these phrases.

Time and apostrophes

✅ Good examples	❌ Bad examples
✅ Good examples If you are more than 4 months pregnant, it is unlikely that…	❌ Bad examples If you are more than 4 months' pregnant, it is unlikely that…
✅ Good examples The doctor will contact you in 5 days time.	❌ Bad examples The doctor will call you in 5 days' time.

Use apostrophes in singular expressions of time

When the time reference is in the singular, use an apostrophe to show that the noun is singular.

✅ Good examples

• New Year's Day
• each month's prescription
• Submit your timesheet when your day's work is complete

If in doubt, write it another way

If you think an apostrophe placement may cause confusion for users (even if it is grammatically correct), try to write the sentence another way. For example, 'Submit your timesheet at the end of every day.'

Remember our guidance for how to write clearly.

Hyphens and dashes

Use hyphens, not em or en dashes.

Em and en dashes look similar to hyphens but they are different lengths.

• Em dash (—)
• En dash (–)
• Hyphen (-)

Make sure to place a space before and after use of a hyphen except when using a hyphen to join words. For example, out-of-hours.

Do not use hyphens to indicate a pause. Use a comma or write shorter sentences instead.

Hyphens and accessibility

Research has shown that some people can find hyphens and dashes confusing. Assistive technologies can sometimes misinterpret hyphens also. This can cause confusion for users.

Avoid using hyphens in words

Only use a hyphen if the word or sentence is confusing without it.

Ask yourself if there's a chance someone could misread what you've written and then add a hyphen if needed. Compare 'recover' and 're-cover' (meaning 'put on a new cover').

In general, consider if you can rewrite something to remove the need for a hyphen. For example, 'has no sugar' instead of 'sugar-free'.

Use hyphens for compound adjectives

Whether or not we use a hyphen can depend on the context. We use hyphens when two words are being used as an adjective - this is called a compound adjective. For example, 'follow-up appointment'.

But, we would not use a hyphen when the words are being used as a verb, 'we will follow up'.

Do not use hyphens in dates and times

When writing dates and times, use 'to' instead of a hyphen.

Examples:

• The clinic is open from 9am to 4pm
• This vaccine is suitable for children aged 4 to 8

Read more about dates and times.

Quotation marks

Double quotes

Use double quotes for direct quotations only.

A direct quote is when you are using someone else's exact words and including a quote in your content. We mainly do this in press releases or emails.

Example

Sinéad McConnell, General Manager, COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said, "The HSE is urging parents and guardians of children aged 6 months to 11 years to avail of the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the winter season."

Single quotes

Use single quotes for any unusual terms or to highlight a word or phrase that is being discussed or defined. Use single quotes for the first mention on the page only.

✅ Good examples

Diuretics can make you pee more. They are sometimes called 'water pills' for this reason.

MRSA is a type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These are often called 'superbugs'.

Single quotes should also be used for:

• putting a quote within a direct quote, for example: "'Helicopter parenting' linked to behavioural problems in children," reports The Independent
• captions
• block quotes
• headlines
• the names of courses or programmes

Forward slash

We do not use forward slashes '/' as screen readers often do not read them correctly.

✅ Good example

Talk to your GP if you are worried about pain management or medication.

❌ Bad example

Talk to your GP if you are worried about pain management / medication.

Bold

We avoid using bold. It can make it difficult for users to know which parts of your content they need to pay most attention to.

Do not use bold to emphasise text.

To emphasise words or phrases, you can:

• put the most important information first - frontload sentences
• use headings
• use bullets

It's OK to use bold in technical instructions and UI to tell users which option to select.

For example:

Select Account, then select Profile.

Abbreviations and acronyms

Explain an abbreviation or acronym in full on its first use on a page. Then refer to it by initials.

✅ Good example

Each injury unit is linked to an emergency department (ED) in a hospital. EDs are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

❌ Bad example

Each injury unit is linked to an ED in a hospital. EDs are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Well-known abbreviations and acronyms

You do not need to explain an abbreviation or acronym if it's well known, like EU, GP or PPS number.

Do not use full stops in abbreviations or acronyms. The style is HSE, not H.S.E.

Latin abbreviations (eg, etc, ie)

Do not use abbreviations like eg, ie and etc because they are not understood by some readers and can be misread by some assistive technologies.

Use 'for example', 'like', 'that is', 'including' or another appropriate phrase.

Capitalisation

DO NOT USE BLOCK CAPITALS FOR LARGE AMOUNTS OF TEXT AS IT'S QUITE HARD TO READ.

Using all caps also does not give a consistent experience for people using assistive technologies. (The assistive device may interpret all caps as acronyms or read out each individual letter instead of full words.)

We do not capitalise general nouns, such as the seasons, for example. Capitalise as little as you can. The exceptions to this are proper nouns, and you can see examples of those below.

You can use capitalisation for

Capitalisation rules

What	Format	Example
What Job titles when the person who holds the title is named	Format Do not capitalise names of jobs unless it's in a specific job title	Example ✅ See the head of operations ✅ See Susan Smith, Head of Operations ❌ See the Head of Operations ❌ See Susan Smith, head of operations
What Titles like Mr, Mrs, Dr	Format No full stops	Example ✅ Dr Ann Byrne ❌ dr. Ann Byrne
What Brand names	Format Follow the style used by the brand	Example ✅ TikTok ✅ YouTube ❌ Tiktok ❌ youtube
What Schemes and programmes	Format Do not capitalise the names of cards, such as the medical card or GP visit card	Example ✅ Bike to Work Scheme ✅ If you are not eligible for a medical card, we will assess you for a GP visit card ❌ Bike to work scheme ❌ If you are not eligible for a Medical Card, we will assess you for a GP Visit Card
What Medical conditions, only when they are named after a person	Format	Example ✅ Alzheimer's disease ✅ motor neurone disease ❌ alzheimer's disease ❌ Motor Neurone Disease
What Brand name medicines	Format Generic drug names start lowercase. Brand names get an initial capital letter except where the brand uses lowercase itself. Try to avoid using brand names unless it helps users to recognise a class of medicine.	Example ✅ paracetamol ✅ Panadol ❌ Paracetamol ❌ panadol
What Names of courses	Format	Example ✅ Coaching Skills for Managers ✅ HSE Climate and Sustainability Programme ❌ coaching skills for managers ❌ HSE climate and sustainability programme