We’ll always remember 2020 as a time we all had to do things differently. Its full impact on society has not yet been fully played out – but it’s clear that one of the big changes is in health technology.

The coronavirus crisis has seen the mass adoption of alternative, digital ways of accessing health and care services to reduce the number of people physically accessing buildings and meeting people face-to-face.

Although it’s simple and secure for users to access digital services with their NHS login, registering for an NHS login account and proving their identity has not always been easy for the user.  

Accessing sensitive information in a medical record requires a ‘high-level’ of identity verification. This means users must prove their identity by either providing a photo ID and a video recording of themselves or their online registration details from their GP practice. This has been a barrier for many users.  

Where users do experience problems, we have also set up a new help centre, built into the system, to guide people through the application process and to answer any questions they might have before submitting. Users can use this help centre to raise enquiries with our National Service Desk, who use well-developed processes for further assistance. 

This will help to reduce the number of failed applications, making the process much quicker for many people. 

Accessing a medical record requires a high level of identity-proving, but this high level is not necessary for all digital healthcare services. 

For example, the NHS App offers some information-only services, which allows patients to check symptoms or view updates to current healthcare information. This doesn’t require access to their medical records, so we’ve introduced a ‘medium-level’ verification process that makes setting up an NHS login even faster, as all that is required is their contact details and NHS number. 

This gives users an easier journey to access only what they need. They have the option to upgrade to full access, including their medical records, in the future.