To reduce the burden on individual organisations from having to respond to multiple standards, the requirements for Cyber Essentials have been included within the 2020-21 DSPT for NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts. Equivalence to Cyber Essential Plus is now gained when completion of the DSPT is combined with an independent on-site assessment which was due to be completed in 2020-21.

 

Due to the pressures that organisations have faced in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic - we recognise that resourcing an on-site assessment will place an additional burden on the NHS. Therefore, the need to complete an on-site assessment before the end of June 2021 is no longer mandatory for NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts. So, unless we get in touch with you, an on-site assessment is not required.

 

For NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts that will be ready for external assessment in 2021, NHS Digital will fund a limited number of on-site assessments between now and the end of June 2021. For further details about on-site assessments see on-site assessments - NHS Digital.

 

NHS organisations will still have the option of arranging their own independent assessments.

 

The evidence items in the DSPT which cover Cyber Essentials are available at: https://www.dsptoolkit.nhs.uk/News/131 in the DSPT Requirements 20-21 attachment, flagged in column V.