Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is eSpace?

eSpace is a service that provides collaboration tools to facilitate communication between individuals and groups who have a common project, interest or aim.

Features of eSpace are:

• An easy interchange of news/opinion/comment on topics directly relevant to the day-to-day activities of the healthcare professional
• Provides a vehicle for publishing up-to-date practice, opinion, and information, in healthcare, health informatics, and clinical practice
• Single point of access to sources of information, groups and forums
• Support for existing Communities of Practice
2. Who is eSpace for?

NHS healthcare professionals working on information and technology-related projects and associated change.

3. What can I do on eSpace?

As a member of a Group you will be generally able to read all of the content of that group, plus actively participate in Discussions by creating and replying to message threads. Some Groups may choose to implement multiple levels of membership, and/or more flexible authoring policies, allowing members to contribute a wider range of content.

4. How do I join a Group?

eSpace Group content is secure and private. To join a Group you will first need to register for an eSpace user account by completing a short online registration form.

Once you have been accepted for access by the eSpace central team you can then join Groups by opening the list of eSpace Groups accessible via the Groups tab at the top of most eSpace pages, and selecting the icon under 'Details and how to Join'. This will take you to a page showing the details for the Group, including the membership criteria and instructions on how to request to join. The Group Administrator is responsible for dealing with your request, but please note this may take up to 1 week to process and the Group Administrator may ask for more information or reject your application if you do not meet the membership criteria for the group.

5. How do I join a Group if I don't have an NHS or Government email address?

eSpace is aimed at health professionals with a legitimate interest in UK Healthcare. If you have access to an NHS or UK Government email address, please use it to register with eSpace Groups.

If you are not an NHS or Government employee, or for any other reason need to use an non-NHS email address, your request to join a group should include your employer name, your job title, and an explanation of your professional interest in UK Healthcare. The Group Administrator responsible will decide whether to approve your request depending on the membership criteria for the Group.

6. How can I request the creation of a new Group?

If you have established that you would like a new Group and assured yourself that no existing Groups meet your requirements. Then, you should, in the first instance, contact the eSpace central team via the Contact Form. The eSpace administrators will discuss your request with you, and if it is agreed that a new Group is appropriate, you will be sent a request form to complete.

Please Note that each eSpace Group must have at least two administrators to take on leadership and direction of the Group. Group Administrators are required to attend Administrator training before their Group goes live, and are expected to attend ongoing eSpace training and development events when these are made available. Training and Development events are typically run no more than 4 times per year.

7. I have forgotten my login and password details, how can I access my account on eSpace?

If you still have a valid login, but have simply forgotten your password, you can request a new password by Contacting the eSpace central team. You will be mailed a new temporary password, to your currently registered email address.

If you have forgotten both your username and password, please provide us with your personal information including full name and email address. If we can identify your user account we will send a new temporary password as above. If not it may be necessary to create a new user account, but this will necessitate you re-applying for membership of any Groups you had joined.