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Over six thousand care providers sign up to NHSmail in just six weeks

The number of care providers using NHSmail, the NHS’ centrally-funded email service, has more than doubled in the last six weeks from 4,141 providers to 10,186, to support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over six thousand care providers sign up to NHSmail in just six weeks

The number of care providers using NHSmail, the NHS’ centrally-funded email service, has more than doubled in the last six weeks from 4,141 providers to 10,186, to support staff during the COVID-19 pandemic1.

NHSmail gives staff in care homes and domiciliary care the ability to safely share residents’ data and queries with doctors, nurses and GPs involved in their resident’s direct care, and get timely responses.  It also connects them to pharmacists, dentists and anyone else in health and care who also has secure email, such as NHSmail.

It can be accessed from mobile devices as well as desktops and includes a full directory of all NHSmail users, as well as collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams.

NHS Digital’s Social Care Programme formed a partnership with the Care Provider Alliance to work nationally with all care providers to help them embrace the digital agenda.

The NHSmail system supplier Accenture has been working with NHS regional teams, encouraging engagement and providing support for staff in the care sector to access NHSmail.

Chris Parsons, NHSmail Product Owner at NHS Digital, recently said:

“I am so pleased that more than one in three social care providers in England are now taking advantage of the benefits that NHSmail offers. 

“These care providers are now able to discuss their residents’ prescriptions with pharmacists, communicate securely with doctors to get a quick medical opinion and much more.

“This ability to communicate quickly, securely and effectively with colleagues across the sector means real benefits to staff and better care for the people they support.

“The progress we have made on this journey has been fantastic so far and we look forward to welcoming even more care providers to NHSmail.”

Notes to Editors

  1. From 23 March 2020 to 1 May 2020.
  2. NHSmail is secure for the exchange for patient identifiable and sensitive data, and so, for some sites, it has helped to make the discharge process smoother for staff as they can securely communicate with each other, supporting the planning in both health and care around the discharge.  However, local organisations remain responsible for deciding what discharge processes they wish to use, in line with their local clinical safety assessments.

 

Channel website: https://digital.nhs.uk

Original article link: https://digital.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/over-six-thousand-care-providers-sign-up-to-nhsmail-in-just-six-weeks

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