NHS docs could get IM from next year

GPs could soon be just an instant message away after a project to upgrade NHS workers' email paved the way for the introduction of IM at the health service.

This week, the NHS announced it had completed the migration of more than 350,000 NHS email accounts to Microsoft Exchange as part of the NHSmail project.

Will Moss, programme head of NHSmail, said IM could be added to NHSmail as soon as next year.

"We would very much like to introduce things like instant messaging, VoIP and Microsoft SharePoint to enable people to collaborate, rather than just sending emails," Moss told silicon.com.

"They are very much things I would like to do. The first of those is instant messaging."

"I would love to do it in the next calendar year," he added.

Moss said he would first like to introduce IM for communication between NHS staff, followed by those between clinicians and patients.

"Clinicians are much keener on IM then they are on email because it's real-time and they like that interactivity."

Moss said the idea of adding IM to NHSmail had been partly inspired by its use in a Scottish city where there had been a large influx of non-English speaking immigrants.

"Unfortunately, the number of translators available to help the GPs cope with the needs of these healthcare patients were not enough," he said.

"They used video and IM to get a translator in one place hooked into a number of GP surgeries, so they could maximise the use of the translator services without them having to travel about.

"That is something that we would be very interested in pursuing if we get as far as doing IM."

Moss added that although IM, VoIP and SharePoint have been identified as future deliverables, funding is not yet in place.