NHSmail/www.nhs.net  notice

NHS Connecting for Health ceased to exist on 31st March 2013. This website is therefore not being updated. For up to date information about systems and services visit the Health and Social Care Information Centre website at www.hscic.gov.uk/systems




About NHSmail/NHSmail 2
NHSmail is the national email and directory service available to NHS staff in England and Scotland.

Accredited to Government RESTRICTED status, it is the only NHS email service secure enough for the transmission of confidential patient information.

Initially, both of them are free e-mails open to the public, and the major functions of them are similar. They are built to send and receive messages, pictures and videos. Meanwhile, they also share big differences:
    First, the scopes are different. NHSmail(www.nhs.net) comprises e-mail, diary and directory systems that target   staff members, but not for patients of the NHS. However, the 163mail contains a vast of content.
    Second, the history of their background is different. NHSmail(www.nhs.net) was invented in 2006 while 163mail has at least 10-year history since it was set up in 1997.
    Third, they have difference in storage. NHSmail(www.nhs.net) initially offered 64Mb of storage. In 2006 it was improved and storage space was therefore enlarged to 200Mb; 163mail owns 512Mb of storage, so it has a comprehensive storage for the users to do whatever they want.

    Forth, the technological support they adopt are also different. NHSmail system uses a customised version of Microsoft Exchange (2007). It can be accessed on the internet by Microsoft Outlook on Windows or Microsoft Entourage on Apple OS X. Auto-configuration is available once the user's e-mail address is provided. while 163mail uses the Windows8 system.
    Furtherly, security they guarantee are different. NHSmail has been approved for securely exchanging patient information by the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). However, 163mail has been charged of leaking the imformation of the user.
    In addition, the users groups are different too. The NHSmail is usually used by foreigners with a large number. 163mail is  the most popular Chinese mailbox, and is widely used both at home and abroad, the using number has excessed 0.23 billion.
    Last but not least, the 163mail can be registered through mobile phone.

How to mirror the NHSmail(www.nhs.net) system in China

The experience of UK's information - based development can be generally summarized as resource integration, information sharing, service and intensive supervision effectively. Combining with China's national conditions and problems, and using the experience of UK's information - based development for reference, we need to promote the development of medical informatization in our country from different aspects.
    Medical resource integration comes first. we should strengthen the doctor-patient interaction and the control of relevant information. It becomes imperative to integrate the medical and health resources of different departments and regions, and to establish a national health information system. The purpose of this system should be broad coverage, high-efficiency, shareable, and interoperable. Besides, it should ensure the China's urban and rural hospitals and clinics to use and share the profit.
    Secondly,initial priority would be placed by using the available resources and the related work already carried out before the fully integration. In addition, it should be launched according to the way of the declaration locally organized, first trial project, and the complement after the country executing. On one side, electronic medical records and electronic health records should be promoted in each two cities of the eastern,central and western areas. On the other side,  remote medical services should be adopted in the near future.
    What is more, the goverment should encourage the civilian force investing the medical reform. The investment of the medical reform  is one huge project and it is difficult to sustain just by central and local governments. It is necessary to bring in the civilian force featuring fairness and transparency. So that we can break the monopoly, and bring the sustainability of the funds into the living water.