This article covers:
NHS support for Windows 7
The NHS agreed with Microsoft that all NHS devices should move to Windows 10 and set a deadline for NHS organisations to move across by Jan 2020.
As of February 2022, eConsult no longer supports Windows 7 for the eConsult toolbar.
What does 'no longer supporting Windows 7' mean?
We currently test our toolbar on both Windows 10 and Windows 7 which is time-consuming for our Engineering team, considering less than 1% of GP practices use Windows 7. We will no longer carry out tests on Windows 7.
This does not mean that the toolbar will stop working on Windows 7 devices - you will still be able to download and use the toolbar, but this is at your own risk:
We will not be checking for bugs relating specifically to Windows 7 (not covered in the Windows 10 testing) so users may find some bugs.
We cannot be held responsible for any problems that arise from clinical system interoperability for toolbar users on Windows 7.
Our support team may ask you to confirm your Windows instance if you reach out for support - they will not be able to help with any issues relating to Windows 7.
FAQs
How do I know which edition of Windows I'm on?
Go to your computer's Settings menu, then click the 'System' option and 'About'. It will tell you which edition of Windows you're using, e.g. Windows 10.
Is there a warning to let me know I'm using an unsupported Windows edition?
There is no warning on the eConsult toolbar letting users know that they are on an unsupported operating system. You will need to check your own instance or ask for support from your IT team.
Does this affect patients?
This does not affect patients - the toolbar is only used by NHS customers of eConsult, not patients, and specifically affects the toolbar, which needs to be downloaded and installed.
If you have any questions or you feel that this article could be improved, please feel free to give us some feedback by emailing us, pressing the emojis below or using the chat button on the bottom right-hand side of this page to speak to one of the eConsult team.