Access to E-mail for all NHS StaffIt has recently been announced that the company EDS has been selected by the National Health Service (NHS) Information Authority as the preferred supplier to deliver a national managed email service by March 2003. This is a company with which amicus - MSF Section has a good relationship and also has many members. This service will give all NHS staff, approximately 1.2 million individuals, a personal mailbox - allowing them direct access to email from the workplace or other locations, including home. Other benefits include online calendars and a national directory service. This will help the NHS Information Authority to deliver crucial infrastructure services. It will also provide an email and directory service using an industrial strength infrastructure to support the future NHS needs for interpersonal messaging and workflow applications. Services will run across the NHS network, NHSnet, and the Internet using a secure connection and will deliver the increased efficiencies possible through the use of today's information and communication technologies. Carrie Armitage, the NHS Information Authority's Head of Access to Information said: "This is part of the NHS Information Authority's work to develop an efficient infrastructure for the NHS and it meets the Department of Health target to give all NHS staff access to email by March next year. Meeting this target is crucial to delivering a Modern and Dependable Health Service, as outlined in the NHS Plan." Together the NHS email and directory service will be amongst the largest corporate email and directory services in the world. Several hundred thousand NHS staff are expected to make use of the service in the first year alone.
It has recently been announced that the company EDS has been selected by the National Health Service (NHS) Information Authority as the preferred supplier to deliver a national managed email service by March 2003.
This is a company with which amicus - MSF Section has a good relationship and also has many members.
This service will give all NHS staff, approximately 1.2 million individuals, a personal mailbox - allowing them direct access to email from the workplace or other locations, including home. Other benefits include online calendars and a national directory service.
This will help the NHS Information Authority to deliver crucial infrastructure services. It will also provide an email and directory service using an industrial strength infrastructure to support the future NHS needs for interpersonal messaging and workflow applications.
Services will run across the NHS network, NHSnet, and the Internet using a secure connection and will deliver the increased efficiencies possible through the use of today's information and communication technologies.
Carrie Armitage, the NHS Information Authority's Head of Access to Information said: "This is part of the NHS Information Authority's work to develop an efficient infrastructure for the NHS and it meets the Department of Health target to give all NHS staff access to email by March next year. Meeting this target is crucial to delivering a Modern and Dependable Health Service, as outlined in the NHS Plan."
Together the NHS email and directory service will be amongst the largest corporate email and directory services in the world. Several hundred thousand NHS staff are expected to make use of the service in the first year alone.
Correspondence to Prime Minister Tony Blair
Below is the text of a letter from amicus Joint General Secretary Roger Lyons to the Prime Minister, on the subject Tony Blairs recent statement in support of science: On behalf of amicus-MSF I want to welcome your statements in support of science & scientists. As you know we represent tens of thousands of scientific and technical employees, particularly in medical and pharmacuetical research. Overwhelmingly they are working to save life and reduce pain. For some years they have felt neglected by society, and have been harassed by criticism sometimes violent, and occasionally aimed at their homes and families. They will much appreciate your public recognition of their important role, and the tremendous support this Government has given to Science since 1997. We have worked closely with David Sainsbury, and now your interviews and address have given just the kind of backing our members have been hoping for. By the way, as a guest at the CBI dinner I thought your speech was spot on, especially in the case for funding the NHS and other public services. Around my table the "hard faced" businessmen and women gave you strong applause, whilst applause for Iain Vallance was light hearted and patchy. The less said about Digby Jones' contribution the better.
Below is the text of a letter from amicus Joint General Secretary Roger Lyons to the Prime Minister, on the subject Tony Blairs recent statement in support of science:
On behalf of amicus-MSF I want to welcome your statements in support of science & scientists. As you know we represent tens of thousands of scientific and technical employees, particularly in medical and pharmacuetical research. Overwhelmingly they are working to save life and reduce pain.
For some years they have felt neglected by society, and have been harassed by criticism sometimes violent, and occasionally aimed at their homes and families. They will much appreciate your public recognition of their important role, and the tremendous support this Government has given to Science since 1997.
We have worked closely with David Sainsbury, and now your interviews and address have given just the kind of backing our members have been hoping for.
By the way, as a guest at the CBI dinner I thought your speech was spot on, especially in the case for funding the NHS and other public services. Around my table the "hard faced" businessmen and women gave you strong applause, whilst applause for Iain Vallance was light hearted and patchy. The less said about Digby Jones' contribution the better.
PTB Pay Ballot
As you will be aware we have recently undertaken to ballot our members on the PTB pay offer. We have experienced some difficulties in contacting the appropriate senior reps. The information and contact details that we used for the purpose of the ballot were extracted from our National Reps Database, the problems that we encountered in contacting all senior reps has highlighted the areas in which this database needs to be improved. As with any such system it is only as good as the information that is fed into it. We need all reps to ensure that they keep this office up to date with changes in their contact details via our Database Administrator Jean Smith on JEAN.SMITH@amicus-m.org. In addition we need to ensure that we have, at the very least, a senior rep in each pathology lab, if not for each discipline. Please do not rely on reps from other departments in the hospital.
As you will be aware we have recently undertaken to ballot our members on the PTB pay offer. We have experienced some difficulties in contacting the appropriate senior reps. The information and contact details that we used for the purpose of the ballot were extracted from our National Reps Database, the problems that we encountered in contacting all senior reps has highlighted the areas in which this database needs to be improved.
As with any such system it is only as good as the information that is fed into it. We need all reps to ensure that they keep this office up to date with changes in their contact details via our Database Administrator Jean Smith on JEAN.SMITH@amicus-m.org.
In addition we need to ensure that we have, at the very least, a senior rep in each pathology lab, if not for each discipline. Please do not rely on reps from other departments in the hospital.
NHS Modernisation & Human Resources
At the recent Health Sector Conference - 7th June Blackpool - Andrew Foster, The Director of Human Resources at the Department of Health, gave a presentation on the above subject.
A copy of this presentation can be obtained by e-mailing a request to Neal Evans on NEAL.EVANS@amicus-m.org
PCT - Franchise Plans
Attached to the Reps Direct is a copy of the South East London Health Authority: Franchise Plan 2002-05.
Reps in PCTs should ensure that any such plans produced by their PCTs are subject to comment/consultation with the staff side.