Over the next 12 months, our colleagues in The Health Informatics Service (THIS) will be upgrading all laptops and desktop computers with Windows 11 software.

Microsoft will stop supporting our current operating system in October 2025, and THIS want us to be as prepared as possible ahead of the change.

Colleagues should barely notice any changes. The main one is when using the right-click function. The team have prepared a page with a screenshot showing what it looks like. There is also a page with lots of the features and tips for using Windows 11.

THIS have already started the upgrades on some wards, including the Surgical Assessment Unit at HRI. We asked Ward Manager, Laura Earle, to tell us about the experience so far. She said: "Well, the fact that I didn't know THIS had implemented it yet suggests it's gone smoothly."

What will happen and is there anything I need to do?

All Trust laptops will be upgraded in the first instance. Colleagues will be prompted to restart their PC once the software has downloaded in the background. This is the same process as current upgrades that happen every fortnight or so, though it may take up to 30 minutes depending on your device and internet speed. Please give yourself sufficient time to allow for the installation to complete. Please do not turn off your device or interrupt the installation during this time.

Desktop PC upgrades will follow later this year. THIS colleagues are testing it so that there is minimum impact for colleagues.

Please save important data to your network drive

It’s good practice to ensure all important data is saved to your network drive. This will help prevent potential data loss and keep your information safe and accessible.