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Health and Social Care Network (HSCN)

The Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) provides a reliable, efficient and flexible way for health and care organisations to access and exchange electronic information.

Top tasks

HSCN customer journey - A six-stage customer journey to help you understand the process of migrating to HSCN.

The HSCN Migration Checklist  provides details of the actions you'll need to take at each stage of your migration to HSCN from the Transition Network.

The HSCN consumer handbook provides advice on managing and maintaining live HSCN services.  

For the private sector:
Guidance and timelines to support private sector organisations in their migration from the Transition Network to HSCN services.

For social care:
HSCN: an introduction for social care organisations to support social care providers looking to join HSCN

The Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) is a new data network for health and care organisations which replaced N3. It provides the underlying network arrangements to help integrate and transform health and social care services by enabling them to access and share information more reliably, flexibly and efficiently.

Health and care providers are able to obtain network connectivity from multiple suppliers in a competitive market place and in collaboration with other health and social care organisations.

New developments

HSCN update following recently issued guidance regarding the use of Huawei equipment

Read the HSCN statement on the use of Huawei equipment guidance. 

The HSCN Internet Access Form

The HSCN Internet Access Form has replaced the Data Security Centre (DSC) HSCN ANME Firewall Change Request Form. The form can be used if your CNSP has advised you are trying to access something that has been blacklisted, the port you are trying to access is not an allowed any/any port or you had access to a site on the Transition Network (previously N3) however you do not have the same access on HSCN. 

Read more on the HSCN technical guidance and forms page.

How HSCN supports Internet First policy and the shift to internet and public cloud based services

HSCN connectivity is the default standard for internet connectivity in the health and social care sector, supporting the Internet First policy of easy access to digital health and care services and improving interoperability between them. Read more about how health systems and applications are being made accessible over the internet on our news and events page

Connecting to HSCN

The HSCN Buying Guide

The HSCN Buying Guide provides useful information to new and existing customers considering buying a HSCN connection.

The new dynamic purchasing system (DPS) for HSCN Access Services, RM3825, is live for customers. Crown Commercial Service (CCS) have also published HSCN procurement templates and guidance on their website.

RM3825 is recommended by NHS Digital as the most efficient route to market for HSCN procurement and we're expecting all HSCN compliant suppliers to join the DPS. Read more on the CCS website

The HSCN Migration Checklist

The HSCN Migration Checklist  provides details of the actions you'll need to take at each stage of your migration to HSCN from the Transition Network.

Business applications guidance

Any N3 contacted voice and/or video business applications currently running on the Transition Network at customer sites need to be replaced prior to the migration of the network to HSCN. See the HSCN business applications suppliers page for details of which suppliers offer these services and read the NHS Digital guidance on procuring replacement services for further detail

Other useful HSCN documents, forms and guidance can be found on the Technical Guidance and supplier documentation pages.

Sign the HSCN Connection Agreement

The HSCN Connection Agreement sets out the things HSCN customers must do before and whilst using HSCN. Learn more and complete a HSCN Connection Agreement.

Contacting HSCN

General HSCN enquiries - email enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk
Media enquiries - contact our press office on 0300 303 3888 or email media@nhs.net
N3 enquiries - legacy N3 customers can contact the BT helpdesk on 0800 085 0503 (select option 3) for information about existing network services.

Related pages

  1. internal

    HSCN consumer handbook: contents

    This consumer handbook provides a guide to the services available from HSCN service providers. It includes advice on some of the procedures for managing and maintaining live HSCN services.  

  2. internal

    New to HSCN

    The Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) is a new data network for health and care organisations, replacing N3.

  4. internal

    HSCN supplier information

    The Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) is a secure way for health and social care organisations to share information. Some elements of HSCN are delivered centrally by NHS Digital or its partners, and others can be supplied by any organisation which can demonstrate that they comply with the standards.

  7. internal

    HSCN technical guidance

    Guidance, policy and best practice documents covering all technical aspects of HSCN. Documents on this page will be regularly reviewed and updated by NHS Digital as required.

  8. internal

    HSCN case studies

    Case studies from users of the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), the data network for health and care organisations.

Last edited: 28 August 2019 10:29 am