Care Identity Service guidance leaflets and forms.
If you're a primary care provider, find out the contact details of your registration authority.
Registration authorities and smartcards
Summary
Smartcards and access control are secure measures by which clinical and personal information is accessed by only those that have a valid reason to do so.
Top tasks
To be issued with an NHS smartcard, health professionals and NHS staff must have their identity verified to NHS Employers' identity check standards.
Local registration authority managers will find it useful to refer to the National Registration Authority Policy.
Care Identity Service users will find it useful to refer to the Registration Authorities Operational and Process Guidance.
Care Identity Service
The Care Identity Service is an electronic system for registering and issuing smartcards. Registration authorities use the Care Identity Service to control NHS smartcard access for the NHS Spine's 800,000+ smartcard users. It’s a unified application that provides a single location for all registration authority activities.
Smartcards
NHS smartcards are similar to chip and PIN bank cards and enable healthcare professionals to access clinical and personal information appropriate to their role.
A smartcard used in conjunction with a passcode, known only to the smartcard holder, gives secure and auditable access to national and local Spine enabled health record systems.
Registration authority support teams with an account on the Oberthur portal can order a supply of smartcards, and readers can be ordered directly from NHS Digital. Individual card users should contact their local registration authority teams. Contact details for primary care service provider organisations can be found here.
How are records protected?
The NHS Care Record Guarantee for England sets out the rules that govern how patient information is used in the NHS and what controls patients can have over this. It covers:
- people's access to their own records
- controls on others' access (such as carers)
- how access will be monitored and policed
- options people have to further limit access
- access in an emergency
- what happens when someone cannot make decisions for themselves
Everyone who works for the NHS or for organisations delivering services under contract to the NHS has to comply with this guarantee. It was first published in 2005 and is subject to regular review, ensuring it remains clear and continues to reflect the law and best practice.
Related pages
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internal Primary care service provider contact details
Find contact details for Registration Authority (RA) primary care service provider organisations that support primary care organisations.
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internal Care Identity Service
Find forms, guidance leaflets, and the latest news and updates related to the Care Identity Service.
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internal Smartcard and smartcard reader requests
Find out how to request smartcards and smartcard readers.
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internal Smartcard printers
Find out about ordering printer materials and additional printers, along with how to report printer problems.
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internal Registration Authority training
Find out about Care Identity Services e-learning materials.
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external
Oberthur portal
Order a supply of smartcards
- asset
- asset
Last edited: 24 June 2019 3:05 pm