FAO All Wards and Departments - removal of fax machines

A ban on fax machines in the NHS was announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary in 2018. This announcement gave organisations a deadline of March 2020 for all fax machines to be phased out. From this point, all NHS organisations have been required to use modern communication methods, such as secure email, to improve patient safety and cyber security.

Between 2018 and 2020, a program of identifying and removing fax machines within the Trust was undertaken however it has come to light that a small number of areas have retained/resumed use of fax devices. A further sweep of the organisation has now taken place and a small number of remaining machines have been removed.

All staff are asked to check all areas within their departments (including offices, cupboards and storage areas) to identify any fax machines, whether in use or being stored. If any fax machines are found, please urgently contact the IM&T Service Desk to arrange their removal. Should there be any concerns around how to replace fax communications, support can be provided to find a suitable alternative.