NICS GP Federation

Integrated Healthcare Services

North West Surrey Integrated Care Services (NICS) delivers integrated healthcare services across Surrey, supporting patients, healthcare professionals, and partner organisations across the region.

When they approached CreateTheWeb, their website was no longer reflecting the quality of the organisation behind it.

The existing site was built on WordPress.

Here's a screenshot of the old website:

While it had served its purpose for several years, it was beginning to create limitations that affected both performance and presentation.

Load times were slower than they should have been, the design felt dated, and the technical foundation lacked the flexibility required for future development.

The site worked, but it wasn't operating at the standard NICS itself operates at.

For an organisation responsible for delivering healthcare services, credibility matters.

Visitors form impressions long before they engage with content, and a website that feels outdated can quietly undermine confidence before a single page has been read.

We needed to replace the WordPress website with a faster, more professional platform that better reflected the organisation while providing a stronger foundation for the future.

A Complete Rebuild on Modern Technology

Rather than attempting to improve the existing WordPress installation, we rebuilt the website entirely.

The new site was developed using React and Next.js on the front end, with Directus as the headless CMS.

Here's a screenshot of the new website:

Click here to take a look yourself.

This is the technology stack we use across our bespoke website builds because it combines exceptional performance with a straightforward content management experience.

Visitors benefit from a fast, modern website, while the client retains full control over their content without the complexity and instability often associated with traditional CMS platforms.

The rebuild was designed to address both the technical and visual shortcomings of the previous site while creating a platform capable of supporting NICS long into the future.

Moving Beyond WordPress

WordPress remains a popular platform, but many organisations eventually reach a point where its limitations become difficult to ignore.

As websites grow, performance often becomes increasingly dependent on plugins, themes, third-party integrations, and workarounds.

Over time, these layers can create conflicts, slow down the site, and introduce unnecessary complexity.

NICS had reached that point.

Rather than continuing to build on a platform that was beginning to hold the organisation back, we moved them to a modern headless architecture designed specifically for performance, security, and scalability.

React and Next.js provide a fast, highly optimised front end.

At the same time, Directus delivers a clean and intuitive content management system that allows the team to update content easily without affecting the site's performance or stability.

A screenshot of their new CMS:

The result is a cleaner, more reliable platform that removes many of the compromises associated with traditional WordPress websites.

Faster Performance and Stronger SEO Foundations

One of the biggest improvements delivered by the rebuild was speed.

Modern users expect websites to load instantly. Slow websites create friction, increase bounce rates, and reduce engagement. They also create challenges for search performance.

The new React and Next.js build delivers significantly faster load times than the previous WordPress website.

Pages load more efficiently, assets are optimised more effectively, and visitors can access information quickly across desktop and mobile devices.

Page speed is a recognised ranking factor, meaning faster websites are better positioned to compete in search results.

While SEO success always depends on multiple factors, strong technical performance gives search engines exactly what they want to see.

The rebuild, therefore, improves both the experience for users and the long-term search potential of the website.

Just as importantly, the site now sits on a technical foundation designed for future growth.

Additional content, functionality, and integrations can be introduced without creating the performance issues that often accompany older WordPress installations.

A Better Content Management Experience

Moving away from WordPress doesn't mean sacrificing control.

The new website uses Directus as its content management system, giving the NICS team a straightforward and intuitive way to manage content internally.

Pages can be updated quickly, content can be added without technical knowledge, and changes can be made with confidence without the risk of breaking layouts or affecting site performance.

This is one of the major advantages of a headless CMS.

The content management experience remains simple for internal teams, while the public-facing website remains fast, secure, and stable.

There is no trade-off between usability and performance.

Instead of plugins competing with themes and updates introducing unexpected issues, the entire system works together as a single, streamlined platform.

A Website That Reflects the Organisation Behind It

The technical improvements were only half of the story.

The visual presentation of the website was brought up to the standard expected of a modern healthcare organisation.

The design was completely refreshed, creating a cleaner, more professional experience that better represents the quality and credibility of NICS.

Navigation was simplified, layouts were modernised, and the overall user experience was improved throughout the site.

First impressions matter.

A website is often the first interaction someone has with an organisation. If that experience feels dated, slow, or difficult to navigate, it can create doubts before any meaningful engagement has taken place.

The rebuild ensures that visitors now encounter a website that feels professional, trustworthy, and aligned with the standards NICS maintains across its services.

A Platform Built for the Future

The NICS project demonstrates a challenge many organisations eventually face.

WordPress can be an effective starting point, but there comes a stage where the platform's limitations begin to cost more than they save.

Performance becomes harder to maintain, design standards fall behind expectations, and technical debt starts to accumulate.

For NICS, rebuilding on React, Next.js, and Directus provided a long-term solution.

The organisation now benefits from a faster website, a stronger technical foundation, a more professional online presence, and a content management system that gives the team full control without sacrificing performance.

Most importantly, they now have a platform that can grow alongside the organisation rather than slowing it down.

Is Your Website Holding Your Organisation Back?

Many organisations are operating at a higher level than their websites suggest.

If WordPress is restricting your website, ruining your customer experience, and burning potential profit as a result, it might be time to move on.

At CreateTheWeb, we build fast, modern websites on React, Next.js, and Directus that are designed to support long-term growth rather than create future limitations.

Let us show you what's possible and outperform your competitors.