Extended leave and NHSmail (now known as NHS.net Connect)

Posted by: Sarah - Posted on:

We’ve seen several instances recently of emails being lost when a colleague has been on maternity leave or long-term sick leave.

This is avoidable, so we’d like to remind everyone of both:

  • The process for protecting an NHSmail account during extended periods of absence.
  • The wider Information Governance requirement that email should not be used as a long-term storage location for clinical or business records.

Why this happens

An NHSmail account becomes inactive after 30 days without use. If that inactivity continues for a further 30 days, the account becomes eligible for automatic deletion in line with NHSmail national policy.

As a result, an account left unattended during maternity leave, long-term sickness, or any other extended period of absence may be permanently deleted, along with any information stored solely within the mailbox.

What to do before extended leave begins

If a member of staff will not be accessing their email for more than one month, the user or their manager should request that the account is placed into a disabled status rather than simply being left inactive.

Requests can be submitted via the N3i Self Service Portal:

N3i – IT Self Service Portal – Long Term Absence. (you may need to log in with your NHS credentials)

A disabled account:

  • Is protected from the automatic deletion process
  • Can remain safely disabled for up to 18 months – covering maternity leave, long-term sickness, or other extended absence
  • Can be re-enabled quickly and easily when the colleague returns

Where possible, this request should be submitted before the period of leave begins, or as soon as it becomes clear that an absence will be long term.

A couple of practical things worth arranging at the same time:

  • An out-of-office message directing senders to an appropriate alternative contact, so nothing important sits unseen for months
  • Delegate access for a colleague to pick up anything urgent, if that’s appropriate for the role

The IG issue

While protecting accounts from unintended deletion is important, it is equally important to remember that email should not be relied upon as a record-keeping system.

The Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care makes it clear that information communicated by email must be extracted and filed in the appropriate record system.

Specifically:

  • Clinical information received or discussed via email must be transferred to the patient’s clinical record as soon as possible.
  • Business information should be saved within the organisation’s approved document management or file storage systems.

If information exists only in an email inbox, there is a significant risk that it may be lost through account deletion, staff turnover, system failure, or accidental deletion. Ensuring that information is stored in the correct record system protects the organisation, supports continuity of care and services, and helps the organisation meet their legal and regulatory obligations.