Email (IT)
Published on: 27th May 2021 | Updated on: 5th November 2025
About NHS.net Connect
Pharmacy owners are encouraged to use NHS.net Connect (formerly called NHSmail) as their main email system wherever possible. NHS.net Connect is a secure, managed service approved for sharing patient information between healthcare professionals.
Although NHS.net Connect has been rolled out nationally, some pharmacy owners may also use other email services. NHS.net is the only NHS-approved method for emailing patient data—but only when both the sender and recipient use NHS.net accounts.
Read more: NHS.net Connect.
Phishing is a type of cyber-attack where someone sends a fake email to trick the recipient into:
- Giving away sensitive information, or
- Clicking a link or opening an attachment that installs harmful software.
Phishing attacks have become more advanced in recent years.
For training and guidance, see: Data security training and National Cyber Security Centre guidance.
An email mailing list is a group of names and email addresses used to send messages to multiple people at once.
Organisations using mailing lists should follow proper procedures and comply with data protection laws.
Top tips:
- Check your spam folder occasionally—but be cautious of phishing emails that may appear there.
- Ask your email provider to flag external emails to help spot messages pretending to be from colleagues.
- Use an out-of-office message if no one will be available to reply to emails.
Local Pharmaceutical Committees (LPCs) can choose their own email providers. LPCs may also keep mailing lists of pharmacy owners, which often include NHS.net Connect and other email addresses.
There’s no national system for LPCs to automatically receive NHS.net Connect accounts.
Pharmacy owners using NHS.net Connect must complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPTK) during each reporting period.
NHS.net Connect doesn’t offer an automatic way to contact pharmacy owners within an LPC area. LPC members who also work in community pharmacies may have NHS.net Connect accounts through their pharmacy role.
For more information on this topic please email it@cpe.org.uk
