Introduction
NHS Networks is a virtual networking platform for anyone working in or with the health and care sector.
Primary Care Commissioning Community Interest Company (PCC) owns the website www.networks.nhs.uk. You may access and use this website if you agree to be legally bound by the terms set out below. If you do not agree to be legally bound by those terms please do not access and/or use NHS Networks.
NHS Networks is managed and funded by PCC. PCC is an independent, not-for-profit social enterprise that supports the development of health and care services; providing specialist advice with a focus on primary care, events, project support, consultancy and personal and team development services. For more information about PCC see www.pcc-cic.org.uk.
Changes to terms
We may make changes to the website, including these terms, at any time. You will be legally bound by the updated or amended terms from the first time that you use the website after we put the changes online.
Terminology
The NHS Networks website is the set of publicly accessible pages at www.networks.nhs.uk
The site administrator is the individual responsible for the overall operation of the NHS Networks website including the technical infrastructure. The administrator also oversees the policies set out below.
The networks are the web pages run by and for individual networks. NHS Networks hosts these pages free of charge and provides easy to use tools that allow individual networks to create and maintain their pages and manage their membership.
The network administrator is the individual responsible for a network’s presence on NHS Networks. That person may or may not have wider responsibility for leading the network and is likely to be the designated contact. The network administrator is responsible for all content posted on their individual network.
Moderators of the network can add content and can edit and delete content from the network.
Usage policy
Anyone who works for or has an interest in the health and care sector can take part in NHS Networks. You don’t need to join anything or provide your details to view most of the material on the NHS Networks website, which includes news, weekly blog and polls.
Registration
You are not required to register in order to use the open access material included on the NHS Networks website. You do need to register to receive the weekly newsletter, join a network, create a new network, post on forums, polls, administer a network and submit posts for publication on the main website.
The only information you are required to provide for registration purposes is your name, email address and organisation type. You will be provided with a temporary password during the registration process which you will be invited to change to a permanent password of your choice. We use this information for the following purposes:
- To send you newsletters and alerts you have requested
- To enable you to participate in networks you choose to join
- To enable extra administrative facilities (such as editing page content) to authorised users
Your contact details will not be used for any other purpose or shared with third parties.
For more information about data protection please see our privacy policy.
Information security
NHS Networks is a managed operation that employs the services of commercial and NHS organisations to supply and manage the information technology infrastructure, systems and services. NHS Networks is developed using a content management system with built in access control and is only available using an encrypted SSL connection.
As an integral part of the NHS Networks risk management process, NHS Networks takes relevant and appropriate security measures to mitigate any identified security risks in the content management system and operational environment.
Restricted access content
In the interests of more effective sharing of information and wider collaboration, users of the NHS Networks website are encouraged to take an as open as possible approach to publishing information.
The NHS Networks site allows for the creation of closed forums, invitation-only networks and the ability to restrict access to documents.
PCC does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or any other aspect of content provided by individual networks.
It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that they have appropriate authorisation to publish material on the site. Users must not post commercially sensitive information or data that might identify patients or otherwise compromise the privacy of any individual or organisation.
Access and membership policy
NHS Networks is based on principle of openness and encourages the sharing of information as widely as possible. Individual networks are entitled to set their own access and membership rules. It is up to the network administrator to set the access policy for the individual network. We recommend that networks take a liberal view of access to published materials and apply an inclusive membership policy where possible.
We recognise that networks may wish to limit their membership, have certain discussions in private, and decide whether and how to share confidential information. The network administrator is responsible for ensuring their network has the appropriate settings to accommodate this.
Network policy
Networks must be communities of interest. Commercial and not-for-profit organisations may not register as networks. Nor may networks promote products or services or in any way seek to further the commercial aims of individuals or organisations. Networks should establish their credentials with clearly worded mission statements and transparent membership policies.
We encourage NHS Networks members to report any suspected breaches of the code of conduct by individuals or networks. We reserve the right to remove any network from the site without notice or explanation.
Forums
The purpose of forums is to encourage sharing of information and networking within the health and care sector and their partners. Views expressed are solely those of the contributors; NHS Networks makes no warranty as to the accuracy of any statements.
Contributors to forums are reminded to make responsible postings. Abusive, offensive and defamatory material will be removed as soon as possible. Users of forums are encouraged to report inappropriate postings to the network administrator or websupport@pcc-cic.org.uk .
Commercial advertising of services or products is not permitted in forums. Any posting seeking to promote private or commercial interests will be removed. PCC reserves the right to close the user accounts of persistent offenders.
Anybody may view the public forums but posting requires registration.
Comments posted in forums may not be published in any form elsewhere – whether reproduced, quoted, or paraphrased – without the prior consent of their originator.
Third party websites
PCC does not monitor the content of third party websites. Any link provided on the website is solely for networks users’ convenience. PCC does not accept any responsibility for any third party website.
Links from this website
On the website you’ll find links to other websites owned and operated by third parties. These links are not endorsements or recommendations. PCC has no control over the contents of third party websites, and the website accepts no responsibility for them, or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them.
Liability
PCC excludes any liability to users should NHS Networks not be available at any particular time. PCC does not accept any liability to users for any of the following types of loss or damage (which users may suffer as a result of their use of NHS Networks) whether the losses were foreseen, foreseeable, unforeseen, unforeseeable, known, unknown or otherwise:
• Loss which arose when a user first accessed or registered to use NHS Networks (even if that loss results from our failure to comply with these terms or our negligence)
• Any business loss the user may suffer, including loss of revenue, loss of profits or loss of anticipated savings (whether those losses are the direct or indirect result of our default)
• Loss which users suffer other than as a result of our failure to comply with these terms or our negligence or breach of statutory duty
• Any loss suffered due to the default of any party other than us.
PCC does not warrant that NHS Networks or any content will be available uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that NHS Networks or its supporting systems are free of viruses or bugs. PCC does not accept any liability to you if we fail, or are interrupted or delayed in the performance of any obligation because of:
• The non-availability or failure of any telecommunications or computer services, systems, equipment or software operated or provided by you or any third party
• Any other event not reasonably within our control.
We do not give any commitments or accept any liability to you in respect of NHS Networks content provided by other users of the website or third parties.
Newsletter subscription
You will need to register to receive our weekly newsletter. We have provided a double opt-in form to obtain your consent.
We will not share your details with any third party except for the purposes described above.
You can change your newsletter preferences at any time and unsubscribe if you wish too. “Unsubscribe” and “preferences” options are clearly displayed in the footer of each newsletter.
Alternatively, you can cancel your subscription by going to Profile/Account Settings/Notification preferences/Newsletter settings and click onto manage newsletter subscriptions. For further help you may also contact websupport@pcc-cic.org.uk.
News and forum alerts
You can choose whether or not to receive email alerts telling you when news stories have been posted on the site and when new posts have been added to forums you belong to. You can turn alerts on and off and choose a frequency to suit you by going to Profile Account Settings/ Notification preferences. You may also choose if and when to receive alerts from individual networks you have joined.
We may occasionally send you service alerts about changes and improvements to NHS Networks.
You also have the option of receiving web notifications.
Editorial policy
While individual networks are responsible for their own material, the operators of NHS Networks also publish the following further material.
• Daily news gathered from other NHS and related websites
• Details of events gathered from other websites and/or contributed by third parties
• A weekly newsletter containing a summary of the week’s news, blog and poll
Users of the site are invited to contribute their own news items, articles, blogs or case studies subject to the following conditions:
• They must be relevant
• They must not promote products and services or commercial interests
• They must be well-written in plain English
• They may not include attachments but may include links to material on other sites.
We reserve the right to edit submissions and the decision to publish is entirely at the discretion of the editor.
All material is posted in good faith, on the implicit understanding that the information is submitted with the consent of the authors and is free from copyright, data protection or other restriction.
The submission by NHS organisations of reports and other documents not already in the public domain should normally be approved by a senior manager.
The source and author of documents made available for general use will be credited on the website.
Copyright
You must seek the express permission of the author or owner before publishing copyrighted content on NHS Networks.
You do not need to seek permission to link to content on a third-party site unless the site controls access to content through a paywall or closed membership scheme.
Compliance
All contributors to the NHS Networks website and to the individual pages hosted by the site are expected to abide by these terms and conditions.
General
If any of these terms are determined to be illegal, invalid or otherwise unenforceable then the remaining terms shall remain in full force and effect. These terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England.
Comments and complaints
In the first instance should be directed to the site administrator, who can be contacted at websupport@pcc-cic.org.uk
NHS Networks reserves the right to maintain the site policy for the benefit of all users. The decision of the site administrator is final. We do not guarantee to enter into correspondence on particular or general matters of site policy.