Care Identity Service - Overview

Identity and Access Management (IAM) exists to provide internet-facing, secure, convenient and reliable access to patient data for over 1 million health and social care workers via the Care Identity Service. 

As well as the critical national authentication platforms, the IAM team are responsible for a number of supporting products and services designed to streamline health and social care workers' access to these authentication platforms, and provide a range of solutions in support of identity verification, identity management, and authentication.

From GP surgeries and hospitals to air ambulances and social care, the IAM team provide access to critical patient information and national clinical systems, when and where it's needed.

The Care Identity Service provides secure and auditable access to national clinical information to over 1.3 million health and social care workers at the point of need.

The Care Identity Service is an electronic system that allows health and social care workers to securely access national clinical information systems. It is authorised and regulated by NHS England (formerly NHS Digital), and provides information and guidance for health and social care workers to securely access national clinical information systems.

Care Identity Service is the identity and access management service for the NHS, which includes a centralised location for all Registration Authority activities. Registration Authorities use Care Identity Management and Apply for Care ID to manage patient data. The system includes user management, role-based access assignment, and smartcard administration.

There is also CIS1 Authentication, reliant on HSCN, which is being upgraded to CIS2 Authentication for internet-based access. As CIS2 Authentication is a standards-based solution, it will enable the adoption and usage of non-smartcard authenticators in any care setting.

Our services are broken into 4 core areas:

• identity proofing registration, and management
• authentication and authenticator management including smartcards, biometrics, and security keys
• authorisation and access management
• authentication platforms for integration and interoperability

The Care Identity Service application is used by more than 800,000 users, including Registration Authority managers, agents, ID checkers, sponsors, local smartcard administrators, and unlockers.

The system is gradually being replaced by Care Identity Management, but the name Care Identity Service will continue to refer to the whole NHS service around identity and access management.

The existing CIS1 authentication service is used by 1.3 million health and social care workers accessing many of the NHS England and 3rd party systems, which provide access to clinical data.

Authentication and access processes are being upgraded to CIS2 Authentication as part of the move to internet-based access. Both these services operate to a platinum service level, and we have over 20 million authentications each month.

The Care Identity Service is a platinum service, meaning it is available and supported 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you need help with your smartcard:

• you can unlock it using self-service smartcard unlock
• you can self-renew smartcard certificates that have not expired yet using Care Identity Management
• to renew expired certificates, or for any other smartcard help, you will need to contact your Registration Authority

To report a bug or issue, go to the NHS England Customer Portal or send an email to [email protected]

Problems with smartcards are almost always traced back to incorrect software or device setup. You will need to visit your IT team to help you, and refer them to this page. 

The following table shows how to contact us about this service.