Greetings again, 

I did not intend to start a lengthy thread, but I feel that there is some
confusion and inappropriate commenting and so, hopefully, this response will
address these concerns...

Thanks to all who have commented, even if they are derogatory - useful
feedback if nothing else.

1. You are trying the give the impression that you are the only ones to
provide Web space on the NHSnet. (quote - "You need Internet FTP (file
transfer protocol) software to load your pages on to OUR server" (my capitals)

-- BT (Internet and Multimedia Services) applied to the NHSE Telecoms Branch
for permission to connect their web hosting service to the NHSnet. This is
open to any 3rd party, non-NHS organisation.

2. Dr. Ahmad Risk (and many others on this list) run their own Web sites.

-- Great! There are many people who are now educated enough to do this
themselves, but there are a larger number who do not even use a computer.
Our WebWorld platform is there for those who cannot or do not want to set up
their own web server.

3. I still haven't the foggiest where to go to see ANY content.

-- Content will be available at www.healthnet.bt.com for those with an
NHSnet connection. A larger directory of both NHSnet and Internet sources
will be available in the form of the NHSweb Directory, but this is not
available yet.

4. Many of my colleagues have that [web-space] from their ISP for FREE.

-- This is paid for in the connection fee to the ISP. Unfortunately, BT
cannot give away web space on NHSnet because there are other suppliers that
offer connection. Also, BT is regulated by Oftel which restricts the way in
which product lines build business cases and offer “packages” of bundled
services, such as connection and web space.

5.   Did you know that any idiot can create html content?  

-- But has every idiot the time or inclination to do this? Where time is
money it is often better to pay someone else for a service than do it
yourself. Why do you think that the Health/Medical industry has so many
disciplines? Why do we employ accountants? Builders? Doctors?

6. The world can't wait for NHSNet or BT HealthNet or whatever.

-- Why wait? The network is there, waiting to be used. Only the community
can make it work (that’s you by the way).

7. We were always under the impression that it was forbidden to connect our
Trust network to anything other than NHSnet.

-- The rules are different for NHS and non-NHS organisations. My
understanding is that Trusts can have other connections but must pass a
security audit (ie., be firewalled with appropriate policy). I suggest that
you contact the NHSE Telecoms Branch for more information rather than listen
to hearsay.

8. It is perfectly clear that the Code of Connection has nothing to do with
security and everything to do with creating a cosy monopoly for BT.

-- Not so. The Code of Connection is there to ensure that the right people
connect to NHSnet and not the world and his wife. We have a friend to manage
our monopolistic tendencies, his name is Don Cruickshank (DG Oftel).

9. ISDN is a dead technology.  

-- I suggest this line of discussion is better held in the Usenet group
uk.telecom.

10. Firstly 'their' site is actually the NHS's (assuming you're talking
about NHSweb rather than BT's own HealthWeb - a crucial and confusing point).  

-- No, not true. The web server complex is connected to NHSnet. It is owned
and operated by BT. The NHSE have *only* given us permission to run this
service on the network.

11.   Secondly, I'm guessing here, but this is only a pilot of NHSweb.
Perhaps they want to ensure fast and clean access, hence ISDN2 for the
piloters.  Motive: good results.

-- Not strictly true. Yes, it is a pilot but our intention is to “build the
Intranet” as quickly as possible. This means providing access to the NHSnet
for NHS and Non-NHS organisations. Ideally, NHS organisations will have
NHSnet connections. Non-NHS organisations will be able to access the server
(only) to upload and view their content. It is a fast-path for non-NHS orgs
to offer information to the community. Why ISDN? It gives better, faster
results. We are not trialling the PSTN or the ISDN here, we are trialling
the web hosting service.

12. So,  although they invite you to take part in the pilot for NHSWeb on an
open site,  yet,  you still have to connect to the NHSnet.

-- The marketing material for the service is on BT’s “Lets Talk” server
www.bt.com/healthnet. The trial itself on a secure server on NHSnet. The
Internet is the perfect medium to reach a wider audience (ie., non-NHS).

13. I am not "physically" connected to NHSNet.

-- Why bother with the administrivia if you dont go through with the connection?

14. BT have just informed me that in order to have my site hosted on their
"Internet" site (HealthWeb),  I will have to have a physical connection to
NHSnet and that they only allow ISDN2 connections.

-- We checked this out for you and have issued a briefing to our Customer
Service Centre to explain more clearly what the differences are between
HealthNet, NHSnet and Internet. Your referral to ISDN2 is only for direct
access to the web server. You can of course use PSTN, ISDN, Kilostream or
Megastream to connect to HealthNet.

15. We update our WWW server by ftping files over a 14.4 pstn line,
typically ~100k at a time, which when zipped take a few seconds to send and
costs next to nothing. 

-- There will be life in the PSTN for a long time. However, ISDN is more
appropriate for the service because we cater for more than just simple
“HTML” uploads. The Custom product offers full database and CGI hosting -
how long do you think a Gigabyte or two will take to upload at 14.4Kbs?

16. If I were BT's ISDN sales people, of course, I'd try and get the other
divisions to insist that their customers use ISDN as much as possible. But I
have no evidence that is happening here.

-- You wont find any evidence anywhere. Do you really think that such a
large organisation as BT could be so organised?

17. ...advise you on connecting to the NHSnet via a Remote User Agent.

-- The Remote User Agent is used to connect to the Syntegra X.400 Messaging
service. Access to this can be obtained directly or over IP
(HealthNet/NHSnet). Make sure you get the right one to give you full IP
access otherwise you wont be able to see/use the web services or Internet
gateway.

18.  So, by way of a challenge, can anyone think of anything that would be
appropriate for this limited and expensive environment, that could not (with
perhaps a little care about content) be put on any publicly accessible pages?

-- Applications - Clinical trials, referral bookings, supplier ordering,
etc, or anything that needs an assured path from client to server -
something the Internet cannot provide.

19. There is no need for an NHS net. It's all part of the (now redundant)
argument about "secure networks" (he he he!) & the closed NHS community (a
nice friendly 900,000 of us.....)

-- Fact: The growth of the Intranet Market has now over taken the growth of
the Internet.
    There are (probably) over 100,000 people in BT. We have had a private IP
network for over 5 years and it wasn’t really used until the web appeared.
Now, it is part of the fabric of BT’s IT Infrastructure and is used by
*everyone* in the company for : Application access on hosts, reference
information, buying goods, checking whereabouts, finding people in
directories, faxing (via email), radiopaging (via web forms), email,
video-conferencing, booking services and so on and so on. Information on web
pages in only a very small part. The "application" features of HTML (forms,
pull-downs, buttons etc.) are used to great effect to build business
applications - something the NHS has not had the full pleasure of because
many of its "business" processes are paper based.



I do not intend to monitor this group often, but where possible, I shall
reply to individuals. 

One last word - there is no conspiracy. BT or the NHSE are not trying to
stitch-up or rip-off anybody. NHSE are trying their best to manage the
provision of service to a loosely coupled and politically sensitive
community, and the BT are trying to run a business. The sooner the root
problems are fixed (funding and deployment of IT) in the NHS the sooner
everyone can move away from the petty political arguments (network security,
personal information) and concentrate on what they do best - help people.

-Andy


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