FAQs

Prior to merging, both predecessor organisations were actively planning to move to retire their existing email systems.  Both predecessor organisations had already elected to move to the centrally provided, national NHSmail system as it is free for organisations to use, avoids the extremely high costs associated with replacing traditional email systems and offers improved data security. Following the merger, this process will be continued as a single joint project.

Since the new organisation was created, it has been recognised that users  have experienced a number of issues caused by having two separate email systems. This has included:

• Lack of a single email address book,
• Multiple, site specific, email address lists,
• Limited access to shared mailboxes,
• Limited ability to share calendars between the two email systems.

By moving to NHSmail we will be able to overcome these and other issues and facilitate better communication and collaboration between teams.

Yes, all employees will get an email address ending in ‘@nhs.net’.

Where possible, NHSmail Email addresses will take the format firstname.surname@nhs.net. If this address is already in use elsewhere in the NHS your email address will have a number appended after your surname such as firstname.surname3@nhs.net.

You will be able to keep your existing NHSmail address if you already have one. Please look out for an email with the subject “IMPORTANT INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: Migration to NHSmail - URGENT ACTION REQUIRED” and follow the instructions carefully. Failure to provide the requested information may mean you will be issued with a new NHSmail Email address.

Emails sent to your old Trust address will be automatically forwarded to your  NHSmail account for a period of up to 6 months. This will give you extra time to advise people of your new email address and update any external distribution groups that you  may be a member of.

Well in advance of the go live date, new accounts will be created for those employees that need them and existing NHSmail accounts will be matched up for those that already have them. Shortly before the go live date the data within existing Trust Email accounts will be copied to the NHS Mail account. This will be kept in sync  until access to the Trust Email account is switched off.

NHSmail is primarily accessed via a web based portal (available by clicking here). The system is easy to use, is accessible from any internet connected device and is designed to resemble Microsoft Outlook. A link to the NHSmail Portal will be available from the Intranet and conveniently located on all Trust PCs.

Some users may be offered access to NHSmail via the Microsoft Outlook client. This will be dependent on the type of equipment used to access email. For those users who do use Microsoft Outlook, the first time that the Outlook software is opened after the migration, a message will be received explaining that the migration has been completed and a new profile is being setup.

For employees of the Trust mailbox items such as emails, calendar appointments, tasks and contacts will be migrated.

Please note:  Any mailboxes over 25GB in size will not be migrated and the user will be provided with a blank mailbox. Any attachments that are over 35MB will not be migrated. A guide on how to identify the size of emails and attachments will be available on the Intranet shortly.

No existing local Trust distribution lists will be migrated to the NHSmail system. New NHSmail distribution lists will be available on request by contacting xxxxxxxx. Any application for a new distribution list must be made by your Directorate Manager.

An email communication will be sent out to all users advising of this position and inviting applications for new distribution lists. Users are encouraged to take the opportunity to consider the merger of teams/structures as part of this process to ensure that any requested distribution lists are appropriate for the new organisation.

Again IT will be sending an email out asking all Managers to confirm any Distribution Lists their team need migrating or any new ones they want setting up and who will need access.

The default mailbox size limit within NHSmail is 4GB.

If a user exceeds the mailbox size limit, their ability to send/receive email will be restricted. As with the existing local email systems, users are reminded that email is a communication tool and not a document storage facility – users are encouraged to reduce the size of their mailbox wherever possible.

To identify the size of your mailbox, in outlook on the left hand side locate your email address just above the Inbox folder. Right click on the email address and click “Data File Properties” . In the window that opens click “Folder Size”. Total size “Including sub folders” is the current size of your mailbox. Less than 4,000,000 KB is acceptable.

The maximum size of an email within NHSmail (including attachments) is 35MB.

NHSmail is primarily accessed via a web based portal (available by clicking here). The system is easy to use, is accessible from any internet connected device and is designed to resemble Microsoft Outlook. A link to the NHSmail Portal will be available from the Intranet and conveniently located on all Trust PCs.

Some users may be offered access to NHSmail via the Microsoft Outlook client. This will be dependent on the type of equipment used to access email. For those users who do use Microsoft Outlook, the first time that the Outlook software is opened after the migration, a message will be received explaining that the migration has been completed and a new profile is being setup.

At first Outlook access will be restricted to a small number of users; everyone else will access their mailbox  via the NHSmail Portal. Outlook access will be slowly expanded out to all eligible users over the following weeks.

Functionality to view/share/manage other users calendars is available within the NHSmail system. Users wishing to make use of this functionality will need to setup permissions to their mailboxes for those that require it. Guidance on how to do this is available with the NHSmail help system and will be circulated nearer to the go-live date.

There is no archiving functionality within the NHSmail system. It is the user’s responsibility to manage their mailbox and keep it under the mailbox size limit.

Please Note: NHSmail makes use of a feature known as the ‘Dumpster’. Once emails are permanently deleted (from the deleted items folder) they sit within an area known as the ‘dumpster’, where they will remain for 180 days for the purpose of official investigations etc. Any emails within the dumpster are included in the overall mailbox limit. As such, users are encouraged to ensure that they do not reach the size limit for their mailbox and proactively undertake mailbox housekeeping.