On this page...

• G01 - What is NHSnet?
• G02 - How does NHSnet compare with an ISP?
• G03 - Who in the NHS is already connected?
• G04 - Who runs NHSnet?
• G05 - What is HealthNet?
• G06 - What about BT Syntegra? Aren't they involved with the NHS as well?
• G07 - How is BT organised to deliver NHSnet?
• G08 - Do you police NHSnet in any way?
• G09 - How do you inter-work with Cable & Wireless and BT Syntegra?
• G10 - What is Project Connect? Where does it fit in?
• G11 - Can you prove that NHSnet gives value for money?
• G12 - What does the "Cisco Powered Network" logo mean?

On other pages...

• Application Hosting - Secure Application Block
• Service - eg: ordering and billing
• Technical - eg: resilience, DNS addresses
• The Future - eg: ADSL

NHSnet is the secure managed data network for the UK National Health Service. If you are part of the NHS you can connect to NHSnet and:

• Share information with other NHSnet users (from your NHSnet only web sites)
• Access information from other NHSnet users (from their NHSnet only web sites)
• Access Internet web sites
• Exchange email with other NHSnet users
• Exchange email with Internet users

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NHSnet is a private (and secure) managed network, connected to the Internet. It is not an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Following on from Question G1 - a BT HealthNet connection into NHSnet gives you reliable, high-performance and secure access to other NHS users, including access to:

• NHS X400 electronic messaging
• SMTP (Internet style) email
• Internet web sites, via a secure gateway
• NHS-only intranet web sites
• NHS-only remote applications (e.g. At Trusts or HAs)

Naturally, all HealthNet connections conform with the NHS ‘Code of Connection’ for network security.

So, a HealthNet connection into NHSNet offers a great deal more than the average ISP, including:

• A guaranteed uncongested service
• Networks connections that are proactively managed
• (Dial-Up Users) Mail delivered to you, rather than you having to dial up to collect it

ISPs are generally not keen to share their performance statistics with their users. However we make a special point of sharing our performance statistics with you. You can check the real-time status of Healthnet at any time by looking at the weather icon on our Portal site at www.bthealthnet.com. You can also find a snapshot of overall HealthNet performance at http://www.bthealthnet.com/performance/. This page has a useful summary of current connection times, login times, mail delivery and network availability.

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The majority of NHS organisations are connected - every Health Authority, 97% of Trusts and 77% of GP Practices. (October 2000)

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NHSnet is managed and operated exclusively for the NHS by BT Ignite and Cable & Wireless.

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HealthNet is the brand name for BT’s network and access products for NHSnet.

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BT Syntegra have a separate contract with the NHS to provide the ‘Managed Message Handling Service’. Initially this was to link NHS organisations with X400 email and messaging. The Syntegra contract now also covers the internal relays that let NHS users exchange SMTP (Internet style) email directly within NHSnet.

You can find out more about Syntegra's services at nww.nhsmessaging.co.uk (NHSNet users only).

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HealthNet is a BT Ignite product. BT has recently divided into seven businesses. Ignite is BT’s corporate internet and networking business. The HealthNet product team is in the Application Services part of Ignite. However the business of running HealthNet is ‘sub-contracted’ to a number of other teams in BT. You won’t need to bother about our internal workings though, as we run dedicated HealthNet helpdesks for all your day-to-day needs and queries.

BT HealthNet is sold by the BT Health sales team. Our main sales channel is the BT Health team. If you work in healthcare, BT Health can provide you with a full range of products and services;

• HealthNet products, to connect you to NHSnet
• Voice Products
• Solution Sales

Check out www.bthealth.com, for more details.

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BT HealthNet does not as a rule monitor traffic content or make judgements about the effective use of NHSnet.

We do analyse the usage, which includes looking at types of traffic. This is so that we can:

• be pro-active about managing capacity
• improve the network as its use increases
• provide usage statistics for individual users

We do try and help by spotting and stopping ‘spam’ or virus-carrying email from coming into NHSNet from the Internet. (See Question T02).

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We have all agreed that whoever receives a query or fault first is responsible for seeing it through to its close, within agreed timescales. This is for anything related to NHSnet or messaging and email. Each of us is still responsible for thoroughly checking our own networks and systems, but we will pass queries and faults between us to get them resloved, without you needing to intervene. If you have an issue that you don’t feel is receiving the attention it deserves, contact Paul Norris, Service Centre Manager on 01223 826100 (paul.r.norris@bt.com).

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Project Connect - previously known as GPnet - is an NHS project to connect all GPs to NHSnet.

To support this aim, BT developed a special NHSnet HealthNet connection package for GP practices in England & Wales. It was introduced in 1999.

It’s key features are:

• a 64K ISDN connection to NHSnet (via a free 0808 number)
• includes a router for:
• connecting the practice’s own computer network to NHSnet
• providing a ‘firewall’, to further protect the practice’s systems and data
• it’s centrally funded by the NHS Information Authority. Both installation and usage are free to the practice.

If you are a GP Practice and you don’t already have a GPnet connection, then the NHS Information Authority is very keen that you do. The object of Project Connect is to get all GP Practices connected to NHSnet, so that healthcare information can be exchanged electronically anywhere within the NHS. (See Question G04)

For more details you should contact whoever is co-ordinating Project Connect/GPnet at your local Health Authority.

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A difficult question to answer - you might as well ask "Does the M1 provide value for money"? Like a road network, a data network is an ‘enabler’. Both are more cost-effective as they connect to more places and more people use them. Both are most useful when they take you directly where you want to go quickly and safely (securely). The particular advantage of NHSnet is that it is like a private road - only NHS ‘traffic’ can travel on it.

HealthNet and NHSnet usage in general has grown phenomenally over the last year. Unlike the road network though, we are continually expanding the number of ‘lanes’ (network capacity) to make sure there is no congestion.

Because of the special features and benefits it is difficult to compare prices. Nevertheless HealthNet prices are broadly similar to high-quality business ISPs prices. Given the specialist support which is provided as part of the deal, we believe that HealthNet offers the NHS excellent value for money.

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In February 2001, HealthNet was designated a "Cisco Powered Network". This status recognises the success of our partnership with Cisco as a key supplier and follows the extensive infrastructure upgrades made over the preceeding year. It is both an endorsement of our current service in providing the highest levels of quality and reliability, and a confirmation of our commitment to close collaboration on future developments.

More details on Cisco Powered Networks can be found from the Cisco website: www.cisco.com

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