EARL Achieves NHS Digital Secure Email Standard Accreditation
We’re proud to announce that EARL has achieved the NHS Digital Secure Email Standard Accreditation (DCB1596)—a vital recognition of our commitment to secure, clinically safe communication across NHS services.
For our Trust partners and frontline users, this milestone confirms what they’ve already come to expect from EARL: security, reliability, and compliance, designed from the ground up by NHS clinicians.
What is the NHS Secure Email Standard (DCB1596)?
The NHS Secure Email Standard (DCB1596) sets out national requirements for securely sending sensitive information—including patient-identifiable data—between healthcare providers. All systems accredited to this standard must demonstrate encryption in transit and at rest, authenticated access, and auditable controls.
While NHSmail is the most well-known secure email solution, DCB1596 allows accredited systems like EARL to operate with the same level of trust, security, and integration across NHS services.
Why this matters for clinicians
Digital referrals often involve sensitive details. With EARL’s secure messaging infrastructure, clinical teams can confidently:
- Receive automated referral notifications that meet national security standards
- Escalate unread or urgent referrals securely to senior decision-makers
- Support digital governance and audit requirements with traceable logs
Every system-generated notification or referral update from EARL is compliant with NHS Digital’s standards—meaning clinicians and managers can focus on patient care, not information governance.
What did it take to get accredited?
The DCB1596 accreditation isn’t a checkbox exercise. It requires a thorough review of technical infrastructure, data protection processes, and clinical workflows. Over several months, the EARL team worked closely with NHS Digital, our Trust partners, and IG leads to meet the following requirements:
- End-to-end encryption of all platform-generated notifications
- Robust access controls and clinician authentication
- Comprehensive audit logging and traceability
- Secure data storage aligned with UK GDPR and DSPT requirements
This collaborative process helped refine EARL’s platform even further, reinforcing our clinician-first development approach.
Benefits for Trusts and digital leads
For CIOs, CCIOs, and IG managers, EARL’s accreditation removes a key barrier to adoption. It allows our secure referral workflow tools to operate within NHS infrastructure—without requiring workarounds or lengthy compliance reviews.
EARL’s secure status also supports compliance with:
- Data Security and Protection Toolkit
- NHS DSP requirements for secure communication
- GDPR and local patient confidentiality policies
Built by clinicians, for clinicians
Unlike generic software vendors, EARL was created by NHS senior clinicians who understand the realities of modern healthcare. Our focus has always been patient safety, usability, and trust. This accreditation reinforces that philosophy—security isn’t something we added; it’s something we’ve always prioritised.
And because EARL operates as a one-stop referral portal, Trusts can be confident that all workflow automation—whether notifying a team of a new referral or escalating unreviewed cases—is handled securely, reliably, and traceably.
What’s next for secure NHS communication?
We’re actively expanding our communication channels in ways that maintain compliance and enhance flexibility. That includes:
- Integration with NHS Notify to enable intelligent use of the NHS App, SMS, and email from the Trust
- A separate integration with WhatsApp, allowing services to reach patients securely through familiar, trusted channels
Our aim is to support the NHS in modernising communication—without adding risk, complexity, or clinician burden.