Enable secure, scalable data exchange within the NHS ecosystem through 6B’s NHS MESH integration services. We support organisations in designing, developing, and deploying integrations with the Message Exchange for Social Care and Health (MESH) system - the NHS’s national file transfer service.
Get in touchWhether you're developing a new digital health product or extending an existing solution with NHS MESH integration, Whether you're developing a new digital health product or extending an existing solution with
Whether you’re a digital health innovator, NHS Trust, or social care provider, 6B provides expert guidance on choosing the right MESH interface for your use case and supports you through the full development and assurance process.
NHS MESH is a secure, encrypted file transfer system provided by NHS England and hosted on the HSCN network. It facilitates the safe exchange of sensitive data between healthcare organisations, supporting high-volume use cases such as pathology results, discharge summaries, e-prescriptions, referral documents, and social care assessments.
MESH replaces legacy systems such as DTS and allows for structured, standards-aligned communication between disparate systems via the Spine infrastructure. It is a vital component for any digital solution that needs to exchange patient or operational data at scale.
At 6B, we help you identify the best MESH integration approach for your organisation. Whether you need a standalone installation or a fully integrated MESH API, our team handles everything from environment setup and development to conformance testing and deployment.
We begin with a consultation phase to assess your file transfer needs, hosting environment, and technical requirements. Based on this, we recommend one of three available MESH access methods:
For organisations sending and receiving large files (up to 20GB), the MESH Client is the most widely used solution. It connects directly to the Spine via an encrypted link and is ideal for GP practices, Trusts, labs, and other providers managing large data volumes. 6B assists with client installation, network security configuration, certificate access, and firewall adjustments to ensure Spine compliance.
Designed for organisations with lower-volume file transfers, the MESH UI is a web-based interface that requires no software installation. Users authenticate via NHS smartcard, making it a good choice for organisations with no development resources or no need for system integration. 6B supports setup, training, and governance assurance for teams adopting this method.
For the most flexible and scalable integration, the MESH API allows applications to send and receive files programmatically via the Spine or Internet Gateway. 6B guides you through the full MESH API enablement process – including environment setup, mailbox creation, TLS certificate provisioning, shared secret generation, and workflow ID registration.
We support development and testing within the NHS MESH sandbox environment and help your organisation complete the Supplier Conformance Assessment List (SCAL) to move into live deployment. Our team provides support for all MESH operations, including chunked message transfers, acknowledgements, mailbox validation, and address lookup.
Integrating your application with NHS MESH enables secure, reliable file transfer with NHS organisations at scale. MESH is Spine-compliant, encrypted, and capable of handling large volumes of sensitive data across a wide range of clinical and administrative use cases.
By using MESH, your organisation can automate the exchange of information such as pathology results, referral letters, or discharge summaries without relying on manual processes or unsecured channels. Integration with MESH improves efficiency, reduces risk, and ensures your solution is aligned with NHS infrastructure and data governance standards.
For digital health innovators, MESH integration enhances your product’s interoperability and increases deployability within NHS settings by supporting widely adopted communication pathways.
We have delivered MESH integrations using the Client, UI, and API models for organisations ranging from small startups to large NHS Trusts. Our deep understanding of MESH architecture ensures we can tailor each integration to your needs.
From initial scoping and technical planning to firewall configuration, SCAL submission, and onboarding, we manage the full MESH integration lifecycle and engage directly with NHS Digital on your behalf.
Our integration services are built to NHS information governance standards. We are ISO 27001 certified and Cyber Essentials compliant, with extensive experience securing large-scale data transfers and working with TLS certificates, NHS mailboxes, and authentication workflows.
Beyond MESH, we integrate with other NHS systems and services including NHS Spine 2, NHS Login, NHSmail, GP Connect, and major EPR platforms such as SystmOne, EMIS, Cerner, and Epic. This allows us to build solutions that fit seamlessly into the wider NHS ecosystem.
Our modular integration framework allows us to build fast, reliable MESH integrations that can scale across organisations and evolve with your requirements – reducing time to deployment and long-term cost.
