Dynamic distribution lists are created from a number of pre-set rules and groups defined by the distribution list owner. When an email is sent to a dynamic distribution list, it will be delivered to everyone within the NHS Directory (i.e. NHSmail) who matches the criteria defined for the group
Whereas static distribution lists have a list of pre-defined recipients, dynamic distribution lists will deliver to recipients who match the criteria at the time the email is sent. The advantage of a dynamic distribution list is that it accesses live data from the Portal and therefore does not require active maintenance by the owner e.g. if people leave or join the organisation. However, unlike static distribution lists, it is only possible to set up dynamic distribution lists to include recipients on the NHSmail platform
Examples of scenarios in which dynamic distribution lists might be helpful include a clinical commissioning group who wants to contact all Chief Execs across multiple organisations, setting up a mailing list for a multidisciplinary teams within the same organisation and a Local Administrator wanting to contact everyone within their organisation
There is no maximum number of users that can be included in a dynamic distribution list, but larger groups may need to go through an internal process of approval. When setting up dynamic distribution lists for a large number of users, the following controls are in place to ensure that these lists are checked and approved before they can be used
| Condition | Rule |
|---|---|
| The Dynamic Distribution List has more than 500 recipients | The distribution list must have specific senders set, such that only the specified senders will be able to send emails to the distribution list |
| The Dynamic Distribution List has more than 50,000 recipients | When the distribution list is initially set up and with every subsequent change, it must be approved by a Global and Tenant Administrator |
| The Dynamic Distribution List has recipients in multiple organisations | When the distribution list is initially set up and with every subsequent change, it must be approved by a Local Administrator from each organisation. Note: For GP practices the approval shall come from the Parent Organisation, and not the Practice itself |
| A user who is not an Administrator sets up or makes a change to a Dynamic Distribution List | When the distribution list is initially set up and with every subsequent change, it must be approved by a Local Administrator |
Creating dynamic distribution lists
1. Click Admin in the navigation bar at the top of the screen and select Distribution Lists from the drop down menu
2. Click Add in the top left of the screen and select Dynamic Distribution List from the drop down menu
3. Select the Owning Organisation from the drop down menu
4. If you know the Organisational Unit the distribution list belongs to, select an Organisational Unit (you may have to click the + to see lower levels of detail) and click OK
You can click the minus sign (-) to collapse the list of Organisational Units to make the page easier to navigate
5. Type the Name of the distribution list
The email address will be generated automatically
Note: Names must be less than 50 characters and contain no spaces or special characters. You cannot use the same name as that of another distribution list that is Active / Pending / Rejected.
To set an owner for the distribution list:
6. Click Add next to Owning Users
7. Search for the Owning User and click the tick box next to their name and click Select
Note: you can only select one owning user
8. Select Hide this group from address lists if you would not like the distribution list to display in address lists
9. Enter a Description for the Distribution List
Users will see this description when searching for the distribution list in the NHS Directory. There is a character limit of 250 including spaces
Setting authorised senders
1. Choose the category of authorised senders for this distribution list
Be aware that if you select Senders inside and outside of NHSmail including the Internet any email address will be able to send emails to the distribution list
Only senders inside NHSmail: all users on the NHSmail platform will be able to send emails to the distribution list
Senders inside and outside of NHSmail including the Internet: all users inside and outside of NHSmail including anyone on the Internet will be able to send emails to the distribution list
Specific Senders Only: this allows you to specify which users are able to send emails to the distribution list. Note: you must select this if your distribution list will contain more than 500 recipients
If you choose Specific Senders Only:
2. Click Add next to Authorised Senders
3. Use the search box to find the account you wish to authorise
Refer to the Searching for an Entry section for more information
4. Tick the names of all the authorised senders you want to add and then click Select
If you make a mistake with the list of senders, click the red cross to remove them
Adding recipients to Dynamic Distribution Lists
Recipients are added to dynamic distribution lists based on a number of rules that can be grouped together. You can add multiple groupings of rules to distribution lists
1. Click Add Rule
2. Select the first condition for the rule using the first drop down list (e.g. Country)
If you do not include organisation in your rules, you need to use country to avoid the distribution list including recipients in both England and Scotland
3. Select from the drop down whether the condition is ‘equal to’ (=) or ‘not equal to’ (!=)
4. Select the second condition for the rule from the drop down list (e.g. Acute Medicine)
Based on the rule above, all users within the NHS Directory who have the work area of Acute Medicine would be added as recipients to the distribution list
You may wish to add additional rules e.g. recipients must work in Acute Medicine in your organisation. To set additional rules within the same group:
5. Click Add Rule and repeat steps 1-4. Select AND from the drop down if all rules must apply / Select OR if at least one rule must apply
If AND is selected, all subsequent rules must apply to the user in order to be added to the distribution list e.g. if you select Organisation = Aintree University Hospital AND Work Area = Acute Medicine, it will go to everyone working in Acute Medicine in this hospital.
If OR is selected at least one of the subsequent rules need to apply to the user e.g. if you select Role = Midwife Consultant OR Role = Midwife Manager, it would go to users who are either Midwife Consultants or Midwife Managers.
If you make an error whilst creating a rule you can delete it. To delete a rule:
6. Click Delete next to the rule you want to delete
Custom attribute
Custom attributes are additional directory attributes which can be added to Dynamic Distribution Lists and users. By adding custom attributes in the rule builder, Dynamic Distribution Lists can be configured to target specific groups of users.
If a custom attribute is added to a distribution list and the same attribute is added to the custom attribute of the user(s), they will be a recipient of this distribution list. To add a custom attribute:
1. Click Add Rule
2. Select Custom Attribute from the drop down list
3. Select from the drop down whether the condition is ‘equal to’ (=) or ‘not equal to’ (!=)
4. Type the name of the attribute you wish to assign to the distribution list (e.g. Acute Members)
Note: An attribute must be less than 65 characters and may contain letters, numbers and spaces
If a custom attribute is added to a distribution list, the same attribute must be added to the custom attribute of the user(s) which should be targeted by the distribution list.
Refer to Creating a user account for more information on adding custom attributes to a user account
5. Click Update at the bottom of the page
Grouping rules
Grouping rules allows you to apply multiple rules to determine dynamic distribution list recipients. A group belongs to the rule that sits above it. When you select the AND / OR in the rule that sits above any group, you determine whether all rules and any groups sitting beneath the rule must be true or if only one of the rules or groups needs to be true.
To group rules together:
1. Click Add Group and repeat steps 1-3 from the Previous Section to set the rules for the second group
In the example above if a user is part of Aintree University Hospital AND the user is either Administrator OR Administrative Assistant, they will be a recipient of this distribution list.
If you make an error whilst creating a group you can delete it. To delete a group:
2. Click Delete Group next to the group you want to delete
You can also delete individual rules within a group rather than deleting the entire group
Including recipients from a static distribution list
You can add a static distribution list to include the members of that list to the recipients of a dynamic distribution list.
To include a static distribution list:
1. Click on Include
Maximum of one static distribution list can be included
2. Type the Name of the distribution list to be included
Any contacts (i.e. who do not have an nhs.net email address) added to the static distribution list will not be included in the dynamic distribution list and therefore will be omitted from the rule
3. Click Create
Excluding recipients using a static distribution list
You can use a static distribution list to exclude the members of that list from the recipients of a dynamic distribution list.
To exclude a static distribution list:
1. Click on Exclude
Maximum of one static distribution list can be used
2. Type the Name of the distribution list to be excluded
3. Click Create
Viewing Dynamic Distribution List Recipients
Viewing the target users will help you understand who the recipients of the distribution list will be. You should always review target users as it allows you to determine whether the rules in the distribution list are appropriate to include your target audience. It will also help you determine what controls will apply to the approval of this distribution list.
To view all target users of the distribution group:
Click View Target Users at the bottom of the page
When you have reviewed the target users and are satisfied, click Back
Click Complete on the Dynamic Distribution Creation page
Depending on the number of recipients and whether there are recipients across multiple organisations, the distribution list may need to be approved by a Global or Tenant Administrator or by Local Administrators in other organisations. Refer to the table at the top of the page for more information
If there are many target users, you may experience a delay in loading this page. Only the first 500 recipients will be shown along with an indication of the total number of recipients
Additional Information:
- Dynamic distribution list rules will only apply to users with an NHSmail account and not NHS Directory contacts
- Contacts can not be added as Senders or Owning Users
Editing a dynamic distribution list
You can update information associated with a dynamic distribution list (e.g. name, owning users and membership rules) registered to your organisation. Once a dynamic distribution list is updated, the changes will apply to all future emails sent to this list. You must have the correct permissions in order to edit the distribution list To edit a dynamic distribution list:
1. Click Admin in the navigation bar at the top of the screen and select Distribution Lists from the drop down menu
2. Use the search box to find the dynamic distribution list you wish to edit
Refer to the Searching for an Entry section for more information
Use the advanced search feature to search for accounts with the ‘Dynamic’ mailbox type
3. Click on the Display Name of the static distribution list to open the Edit Distribution List page
Although the Edit Dynamic Distribution List page looks slightly different to the Create Dynamic Distribution List page, the steps to edit a dynamic distribution list are the same as when you create one (with the exception of Directory Properties). Refer to the Creating a dynamic distribution list for more information on editing each part of a distribution list
If you do not want to make any changes to the distribution list, make sure you click Cancel to close the page. Clicking Update may send the distribution list for re-approval
The Edit Dynamic Distribution List page includes a Status box which indicates if the list is active/inactive, the dates it was created and last updated and who was the last administrator to edit it
Editing the Organisational Unit of a dynamic distribution list
To move a dynamic distribution list to a different department within the current owning organisation (e.g. switch from Leeds Teaching Hospital IT department to Leeds Teaching hospital maintenance department) you must edit the Directory properties of the distribution list. These edits will have immediate effect and will update the dynamic distribution list entry in the NHS Directory
To move a dynamic distribution list to a new Organisational Unit:
1. Click on Edit next to Organisational Unit under Directory Properties
2. If appropriate, click the + box to expand the Organisational Unit list and select a new Organisational Unit and click Ok
Note: To change the owning organisation, rather than switch the list between different departments within the same organisation, you will need to use Transfer in the Actions box. Refer to the Transfer a distribution list for more information
When all editing is complete:
3. Click Update at the bottom of the Edit Distribution List page
The following message will be displayed:
If you receive any type of failure notification, refer to the Notifications for more information on how to address the issue
Removing the Include or Exclude rule
1. Untick Include or Exclude
2. Click on Update
3. Click Ok to proceed
The following message will be displayed:
