NHS-HE Connectivity Best Practice Working Group

1 - Access Directly from NHS desktops

This stream focuses on the issues of access to NHS end user devices, e.g. a student obtaining an NHS IT account, and then any issues of what can be accessed once “you’re on” e.g. issues of blocking relevant websites and software tools.

NHS IT Accounts for Academic Staff & Students

 Chris Franks from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provided a written description of their process for student and honorary staff student accounts. It had been hoped to use this to compare and contrast this with other Trusts processes.  This has been limited to date although a similar approach was confirmed at the Royal Devon & Exeter IM&T Shared Service:
“We have a fairly similar process to Sheffield with a spreadsheet being provided by the Peninsula Medical staff for accounts required.
These are batch loaded into Active Directory to create the accounts and IDs/Passwords handed out at induction in exchange for a signed “IT User Account Request Form”.  Currently we provide a local mail account, but we will be migrating to NHSmail later this year.  This is the same process that we have for all staff.  Inactivity sweeps pick up accounts to be parked.”

Related issues to be explored further:

• Alternatives to the NHS “Honorary Contract” for University staff working in or with the NHS
• Student use of the NHS smartcard in England. There is a policy on the NHS Care Record Service and student access

Access to Relevant Websites

The Working Group are aware of the good work of the SHA Library Leads IM&T Group on listing relevant websites that should be available from NHS devices. This followed a survey which identified that in some localities there were core resources being blocked. Typically these are relevant to library services and knowledge management. The list of websites not to be blocked is  continually reviewed and updated by the SHA Library Leads IM&T Group.

Access to Relevant Software Tools and Facilities

It was Natalie Lafferty and Andrew Howe’s presentation to the NHS-HE Forum on “Access from the NHS to University Teaching and Learning” which inspired the creation of the Working Group. Natalie volunteered to draft and then discuss her thinking on the access required. This is leading to a document “Web 2.0 Tools and Social Media and Recommendations for NHS-HE” to be published here when available.