Collaborative platforms

About the pros and cons of the SharePoint and FutureNHS collaborative spaces.

NHS England offers two platforms for collaboration between KLS staff working in the NHS in England: SharePoint and FutureNHS.  

FInd out about the main features of SharePoint and FutureNHS.

Notes

1. Access to SharePoint sites, folders and files is not always straightforward, especially when people use the same email address for their own organisation’s Office 365 tenancy as well as NHSE’s.
2. Setting up permissions is more complicated in SharePoint.
3. SharePoint sites offer full functionality and integration with Office 365 apps for members of the same organisation.  For people, added to sites from outside the organisation, access and functionality is more limited.
4. FutureNHS was set up by NHS England to enable easier collaboration between NHS organisations and those in other non-NHS sectors with whom they colloaborate. The platform uses Kahoot but is currently being redeveloped to use open-source software.
5. FutureNHS offers more functionality than SharePoint, for example databases, blogs and surveys.  It is easier to give people access to this than trying to do the same in SharePoint.
6. All members can be given permission to use this functionality whereas guest access, permitted for non-NHSE members, allows more limited tasks in SharePoint.
7. SharePoint sites and FutureNHS workspaces can be set up for KLS groups and networks.
8. SharePoint sites have owners and FutureNHS workspaces have managers who take responsibility for the site or workspace.  They add or invite members, set permissions, manage settings and the look of site / workspace internal web pages.
9. There is no public web page functionality.  These would need to be set up on existing websites, e.g. national KLS website or LKS North.

Anyone in the NHS may request a FutureNHS workspace. 

If you prefer to use SharePoint and need a site set up, contact the Knowledge for Healthcare team on [email protected].