NHS trust gets ready for national sign-on smartcard applications

Interim solution will persuade staff of system benefits

Cliniicians will be ablt to access information from any NHS computer

A London NHS trust is using smartcards delivered through the £12bn health service national IT programme to manage access to existing hospital applications.

Ultimately the secure, role-based card system being established across the country by Connecting for Health (CfH) will enable clinicians and administrators to log onto any NHS computer and access relevant information and services.

But so far only one national application is available at the Mayday Trust in Croydon ­ the Choose and Book electronic appointment service ­ and it is only being used by 200 of 1,500 employees.

In the meantime, staff will use the smartcards to access existing hospital systems via an Imprivata single sign-on appliance from supplier Enline.

By early adoption, Mayday hopes to establish confidence in the new technology and ensure a smooth switchover as the CfH upgrades become available, said head of information management Tony Varney.

‘When the national applications do come online everyone will have a card issued and
will be using them already,’ he said.

To obtain a smartcard, an NHS employee must fill out a form, bring in a driver’s licence or passport, and obtain a letter from a clinical sponsor to establish the remit of their employment. By linking the CfH scheme to existing hospital applications, Mayday is helping to stagger the rollout.

It will also help win over staff who are sceptical of the benefits of the scheme, said Varney.

‘There will always be resistance but now staff will know smartcards work and will be used to them,’ he said.

The trust also has plans to add local functionality to the system, if current NHS guidelines allow. Ultimately the cards could be used to pay for meals, get into the car park and manage physical access to parts of the hospital, said Varney.