DH - C4H - NHSmail migration will lead to better patient care - 28 APril 09

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Better patient care will follow as a result of the successful migration of NHSmail to Microsoft Exchange 2007.

NHSmail is the secure email and directory service available to all NHS staff in England and Scotland. The system now provides a more efficient service, improving communications for hundreds of thousands of health professionals and, ultimately, leading to better patient care.

Cable & Wireless, which supplies the NHSmail service, started the migration process on 16 January 2009. Over 12 weeks 350,167 user accounts successfully moved to the new service covering 1,381 organisations across England and Scotland, making this the largest migration of its kind in the world.

By upgrading to Microsoft Exchange 2007, NHSmail is undergoing a major makeover. NHSmail provides secure transfer of data between user accounts, vitally important when dealing with sensitive clinical information such as test results.

There are many benefits to the upgrade to Microsoft Exchange and the security of the service has been further improved, making it even more secure for the exchange of sensitive information.

Will Moss, programme head for NHSmail at NHS Connecting for Health, said: "The improvements to NHSmail means that NHS staff have access to a vastly improved communications tool.

• "This new email service will mean faster communication between clinicians and better patient care, as patient information will be obtainable much more speedily and securely."

Jim Marsh, Chief Executive Officer, Cable & Wireless Europe, Asia & US added: "We're delighted to have been involved in leading the largest ever user migration of its kind to Microsoft Exchange 2007.

• "Managing the migration of over 350,000 users on to the new platform was an extremely complex challenge, so our key priority was transferring existing users on time and securely.
• "Having successfully completed this process, it now paves the way to extend the use of NHSmail across the NHS. This has been a phenomenal achievement and we're thrilled to have been front and centre in its delivery."

The service includes features such as SMS text messages via email, a feature which is used extensively across the NHS for communication such as automated patient appointment reminders, to reduce missed appointments, as well as other patient communication such as flu jab reminders. Innovations such as these save time and money and benefit both staff and patients.

Other benefits of the Exchange-based service are the incorporation of improved shared calendars and folders, as well as a national directory of NHS staff.

These particular features will lead to increased collaborative working across the NHS, where clinicians from different parts of the country can easily and securely share their knowledge, expertise and different working practices.

• "With Microsoft Exchange 2007 at the core of NHSmail, we are confident that communications across the NHS will be improved dramatically, with benefits for clinicians and patients alike," said Dr Nicola Hodson, General Manager – Public Sector, Microsoft UK.
• "Exchange 2007 enables the most secure transfer of information, which is critical when it comes to patient data, and is more than capable of coping with an organisation the size and complexity of the NHS."

At present around 350,000 NHS staff have an NHSmail account and it is predicted that the service will be used by half a million NHS staff by 2011.

NHSmail is the only email service endorsed by the Department of Health for the secure exchange of patient identifiable information between NHS accounts.

The NHSmail service, supplied by Cable & Wireless, is funded centrally by NHS Connecting for Health.

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