Welcome! to your first edition of .Net News - your monthly roundup of what’s new (and coming next) with the new NHS.net Connect service.
As we enter into a new year filled with new functionality, enhanced NHS.net opportunities, and a personalised experience for everyone, we want to give you the opportunity to read what is here now and what the new year will bring!
❄️ A quick refresher: what is NHS.net Connect?
NHS.net Connect is the next chapter of NHSmail.
It keeps everything you rely on today, while quietly improving the experience – bringing your key tools into one secure, easy to use place and reducing time spent trying to find the right support.
We are taking everything good about the NHSmail platform and refreshing it to provide a better user experience and access to a host of new features and capabilities.
Same essentials. Smarter setup.
🕯️ Looking ahead for 2026
Starting February 2026*, organisations will begin transitioning to NHS.net Connect. You will
receive specific details closer to the time about when your organisation will make the switch.
*Pilot organisations follow separate schedules.
No surprises, just steady updates to inform and support you.
✨ What is new from Day 1?
Once your organisation has migrated, here are the first changes you will notice:
🔔 1. Portal homepage redirection
Once your organisation has migrated, the NHSmail Portal will not be used anymore.
If you do visit it, you will see a helpful redirection message pointing you straight to the new NHS.net Connect login page.
💻 2. Your personalised Launchpad
The new Launchpad will be your starting point for NHS.net Connect, designed to make every day work and collaboration easier. It replaces the NHSmail Portal – the current online platform used to access NHSmail services – and becomes your personalised gateway to NHS.net Connect.
You will find:
- Personalised tiles for your key NHS tools and services
- Quick links to email, Teams and shared resources
- Notifications about service updates and guidance
- Help and support shortcuts, so you can get assistance quickly
Everything you need, in one place.
To find out more visit the NHS.net support pages: Introducing the Launchpad – NHSmail Support.
✅ What is staying the same?
While you will see a new look and have access to additional features, plenty is remaining the same:
✅ You will still be able to do everything you do today
✅ Your @nhs.net email address and login details remain the same
✅ Your MFA remains the same
✅ Day to day working does not change overnight
✅ Access to working data and files is maintained
✅ Continue to use all the same applications you do today
✅ If your account is supported by the National Administration Service (NAS) Helpdesk, they remain your trusted team for account and mailbox support
🔄 Looking ahead: moving organisations
As we head into the new year. The current Joiners, Movers, Leavers (JML) process has been renamed to Joiners, Leavers, Transfers (JLT) and what happens when you move organisations will be changing - but not yet.
Here is a quick overview so you are aware well ahead of time.
Currently, if someone moves to another NHS organisation:
- Their data (emails, files, calendar, mailbox contents) moves with them automatically
In the future, this will change:
- Data will no longer move with you by default
- Taking it with you will be by exception only
🔍 Want to learn more about good practice?
👉 Read the current JML guidance here → Joiners & Leavers Guidance
Nothing is changing yet – we will share details well before it does.
💌 Staying connected in 2026
We will continue sharing .Net News each month, with:
- Clear updates and timelines
- Practical guidance and success stories from pilot organisations
Thanks for everything you have put into helping us transform the platform for 2026. We cannot wait for you to experience it for yourself.
| Last Reviewed Date | 20/01/2026 |
