NHSmail
Encyclopedia
NHSmail is a secure, web-based email service developed for the National Health Service
s (NHS) of England
and Scotland
as part of the NHS National Programme for IT by NHS Connecting for Health
.
It is designed to comprise an integrated and secure e-mail, diary and directory system for NHS employees, and offers access from any networked computer and from mobile devices. NHSmail provides a secure, encrypted means of exchanging information and has been approved for this purpose by the British Medical Association
(BMA) and the Royal College of Nursing
(RCN).
The NHSmail system uses a customised version of Microsoft Exchange
(2007) and thus may be accessed by Microsoft Outlook
on Windows or Microsoft Entourage
on Apple OS X. Mozilla Thunderbird
may also be used (on Windows only) via the use of a proprietary VPN application available to NHSmail users. If the local mail client brings any items down to the local computer these are taken outside of the NHSmail encrypted environment. A web interface is available subject to the usual limitations of Outlook Web Access
(the service is co-branded), especially if a browser other than MS Internet Explorer is used. Mobile devices which support Exchange email and calendar may be configured to use NHSmail email and calendar functions, either with native capability or by installing third party software. Whilst no mobile phones are officially supported by NHSmail the following devices are able to connect :
NHSMail offers an SMS gateway. It is thus possible to send SMS messages using a connected email client or web interface. It is not (December 2009) possible to receive SMS by this method however. A suggested use for this facility is to remind patients of their appointments to reduce the incidence of 'Did Not Attends'.
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
s (NHS) of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as part of the NHS National Programme for IT by NHS Connecting for Health
NHS Connecting for Health
NHS Connecting for Health is part of the UK Department of Health and was formed on 1 April 2005, replacing the former NHS Information Authority. It has the responsibility of delivering the NHS National Programme for IT , an initiative by the Department of Health in England to move the National...
.
It is designed to comprise an integrated and secure e-mail, diary and directory system for NHS employees, and offers access from any networked computer and from mobile devices. NHSmail provides a secure, encrypted means of exchanging information and has been approved for this purpose by the British Medical Association
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
(BMA) and the Royal College of Nursing
Royal College of Nursing
The Royal College of Nursing is a union membership organisation with over 395,000 members in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1916, receiving its Royal Charter in 1928, Queen Elizabeth II is the patron...
(RCN).
The NHSmail system uses a customised version of Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange can refer to:* Microsoft Exchange Server, an email server software product from Microsoft* Microsoft Exchange Client, the former companion client software for Exchange Server that was embedded into some versions of Microsoft Windows...
(2007) and thus may be accessed by Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
on Windows or Microsoft Entourage
Microsoft Entourage
Microsoft Entourage was an e-mail client and personal information manager developed by Microsoft for Mac OS 8.5 and higher. Microsoft first released Entourage in October 2000 as part of the Microsoft Office 2001 office suite; Office 98, the previous version of Microsoft Office for Mac OS included...
on Apple OS X. Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird is a free, open source, cross-platform e-mail and news client developed by the Mozilla Foundation. The project strategy is modeled after Mozilla Firefox, a project aimed at creating a web browser...
may also be used (on Windows only) via the use of a proprietary VPN application available to NHSmail users. If the local mail client brings any items down to the local computer these are taken outside of the NHSmail encrypted environment. A web interface is available subject to the usual limitations of Outlook Web Access
Outlook Web Access
Outlook Web App , originally called Outlook Web Access and before that Exchange Web Connect , is a webmail service of Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 and later...
(the service is co-branded), especially if a browser other than MS Internet Explorer is used. Mobile devices which support Exchange email and calendar may be configured to use NHSmail email and calendar functions, either with native capability or by installing third party software. Whilst no mobile phones are officially supported by NHSmail the following devices are able to connect :
- iPhoneIPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
: iPhone 3GS and newer and all models of iPad. 2G and 3G models are blocked as they do not support encryption. - NokiaNokiaNokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
devices: All Nokia devices with an Exchange client are able to connect, however most models do not support encryption and therefore their use breaches NHSmail security policies. Models that support encryption include: E52 E55 E63 E66 E71 E72 E75 E5 E7. Note: encryption at rest on these handsets has to be manually switched on. - Windows MobileWindows MobileWindows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
6.1 and 6.5 devices. Windows Phone 7 is able to connect but does not support encryption and so using a WP7 device breaches NHSmail policy. - BlackBerryBlackBerryBlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
: connecting a BlackBerry device to NHSmail needs added software. Two options exist: AstraSync http://www.astrasync.com/NHSMail-Blackberry-ActiveSync.aspx and NotifySync - Android: It is also possible to access NHSmail from Android mobile devices, however they do not natively support encryption and require installing 3rd party clients such as Touchdown from Nitrodesk or Remo SyncRemo SyncRemoSync is a mobile application that provides corporate email, calendar and contact synchronization for mobile phones capable of running BREW applications...
from Remoba Inc or RoadSync from DataViz to comply with NHS Mail security policies.
NHSMail offers an SMS gateway. It is thus possible to send SMS messages using a connected email client or web interface. It is not (December 2009) possible to receive SMS by this method however. A suggested use for this facility is to remind patients of their appointments to reduce the incidence of 'Did Not Attends'.