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Frequently asked questions about N3

What is N3?

N3 is the national network for the NHS. It provides a reliable IT infrastructure, world-class networking services and sufficient secure connectivity and broadband capacity to meet current and future NHS IT needs.

N3 provides connectivity to all NHS organisations in England, in addition to those non-NHS sites that provide NHS care, ensuring a reliable service at every site where NHS services are delivered or managed.

The high speed network makes it possible to deliver the new services that are required by pharmacy such as EPS.

It is essential that all pharmacies have an N3 connection in place to enable EPS facilities, ensure the delivery of better care to patients, and as a basis for future infrastructure. N3 is the largest virtual private network in Europe.

What does N3 deliver?

N3 delivers:

  • A fast and reliable network for NHS organisations, ensuring that current and new systems and services run smoothly and quickly.
  • The flexibility to cater for future needs of the NHS, including sufficient bandwidth to implement new approaches to healthcare; for example, the fast transmission of digital images via picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).
  • An opportunity for the NHS to take advantage of updates and improvements in networking technology early.
How do PMR companies supply N3?

All system providers, including Cegedim Rx, have partnered with a network aggregator to enable them to provide N3. These are commercial network companies who have met the rigorous security requirements needed to connect their networks to N3.

Does Cegedim Rx provide webmail?

Yes, Cegedim Rx also offers a free web-mail service as part of its N3 service.

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