Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to provide NHS email accounts to (a) optometrists and (b) other NHS contractors to support more (i) efficient and (ii) secure communication across services.

NHS.net, formally NHSmail, provides licences for optometry practices in England, specifically for General Ophthalmic Services contractors with 10 or fewer sites. Eligible practices can receive one shared mailbox and up to three individual NHS.net accounts per site, enabling the secure communication of patient data. NHS.net also provides secure communication to other commissioned partners delivering healthcare across pharmacy, dentistry, social care, and other neighbourhood community providers.