Cable & Wireless has worked with the NHS Information Authority and many NHS Trusts to create a solution to meet the growing demand for remote working and the increasing requirement for high speed access from remote workers to NHS computer networks.

This solution is fully approved by the NHS IA and is available through the WAN Framework Agreement between Cable & Wireless and the NHS.

This web site is designed to assist in understanding the service, from basic knowledge to ordering and installation.

What does the service offer?

The Cable & Wireless Health VPN service provides NHS personnel the ability to securely and simply access NHS computer systems from any remote location.

How does it work?

The Health VPN service is based upon the remote computer creating a secure, encrypted data "tunnel" to NHSnet.The remote user's identity is validated by use of a token based strong authentication service. Upon successful validation the user is connected into NHSnet and at this point can access NHSnet resources and their organisation's own computer systems.

What type of service access?

The Health VPN service has been designed to provide maximum flexibility in terms of the types of access mechanisms that can be used to connect into NHSnet. The service enables each user to connect via any or all of the following services: Broadband Internet, Dial-up Internet access and GPRS Internet access via mobile.

For example a doctor on call could access patient records from home using broadband and then access the same records via GPRS when on site.

Is the service NHS IA Approved?

Yes. The Health VPN service is fully approved by the NHS Information Authority. It is the only internet based service that is currently approved.

What do you need to do?

The basic Health VPN service does not require any expenditure beyond the rental of the security tokens and requires minimal changes to your NHSnet connection.

If you have any questions about implementing the service within your organisation please contact us.