Please note this information is correct at the time of publishing
Local Administrator (LA) bulletin – 19 December 2022
User account management lifecycle changes
The period a user account remains on the platform when it has not been used was reduced on 1 December 2022. User accounts must now be used every 30 days to remain active.
Please note: There was no change to application accounts, shared, resource mailboxes or the forensic process.
Accounts should be disabled for users out of the workplace for an extended period of time. Disabled accounts remain on the platform for 18 months with no additional activity required.
Please remind your users that at least one of the below must be completed every 30 days to keep an account active:
- Logging into the NHSmail portal
- Logging into an NHSmail shared tenant O365 application (e.g., Teams)
- Use of O365 applications (e.g., Outlook with cached credentials)
- Sending an email
Further detail on this change is available on the NHSmail support site.
NHSmail to introduce number matching in multifactor authentication (MFA)
Number matching is a key security upgrade to traditional second factor notifications in Microsoft Authenticator.
Microsoft will begin to enable number matching for all users of the Microsoft Authenticator app starting 27 February 2023.
NHSmail is introducing number matching in late January 2023 to ensure the change is managed closely, prior to the enforced changed by Microsoft.
Further information and confirmation of dates will be published on the NHSmail support site announcement section.
Forensic discovery request enhancements
From 5 December 2022, the retrieval of forensic discovery data will now be obtained directly from the Microsoft NHSmail tenant by the authorised data recipient.
This change will further enhance the chain of custody by providing organisations with direct secure access to obtain forensic data via the Microsoft NHSmail tenant.
Forensic data retrieval will take place using a secure Microsoft data transfer tool, unique URL and SAS (Shared Access Signature) key.
Details of the unique URL and landing page address to input the unique information will be provided via the standard forensic discovery email sent to the authorised data recipient once the data is ready for download. The SAS key will be shared separately.
NOTE: The process for raising a forensic discovery request will remain unchanged and should be initiated via the Helpdesk Self-Service tool.
If you require additional help and support, the NHSmail helpdesk is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week on 0333 200 1133 or by emailing helpdesk@nhs.net.
NHSmail Portal update
The NHSmail Portal is being refreshed. The new Portal will be released to all NHSmail users in 2023, with the exact date of the changeover communicated to all Local Administrators (LAs) in advance.
The initial release of the new Portal will focus on a redesign of the visual interface and improving the user friendliness of the Portal based on feedback collected from Local Administrators (LAs).
To find out more, please read the announcement: Announcement – New Portal; and the article with responses to frequently asked questions about the update: New Portal FAQs.
Please keep an eye out for more information on the LA communication channels in the new year.
Local Administrator (LA) webinar
The LA webinar is held every fortnight on a Friday at 12.30-1.30pm. The last scheduled webinar for 2022 was Friday, 16 December.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all users for actively participating in webinars and providing feedback that has helped us improve NHSmail over the last year.
The LA webinars for 2023 will begin Friday, 13 January.
NHSmail roadmap update
Furthermore, we would like to inform you the NHSmail roadmap has been updated and encourage you to review the changes.
End of year sign off
As 2022 draws to a close, on behalf of the whole NHSmail team, we’d like to thank you for another year of constructive support and challenge. Together, we’ve delivered a wide range of service improvements for the benefit of all users. There’s still more to do and we’ll be back in 2023 to continue delivering against our roadmap.
Also, a big thank you for your continued support over what has been a busy and challenging year for all. We hope you manage to get some quality time with friends and/or family over the Christmas & New Year period and look forward to welcoming you back at our next LA webinar on the 13th of January.
Best wishes,
NHSmail Team
NHSmail is provided by NHS Digital
in partnership with Accenture
