Care Identity Service

Care Identity Service (CIS) is a secure digital identity management service that supports access to patient data and critical healthcare systems within the National Health Service in the United Kingdom (NHS). Managed by NHS England Digital, this service authenticates healthcare professionals and support staff who require access to national clinical information systems. Through Care Identity Management, CIS helps organizations verify users, manage permissions, and issue authenticators for secure access to electronic patient records, prescribing tools, and other essential care applications.

CIS2 Authentication is the newer authentication component of the Care Identity Service. It supports a broader range of authentication methods than the legacy CIS1 Authentication service, including smartcards, mobile devices, security keys, Windows Hello, Microsoft Authenticator, and other approved authenticators. These options can provide more flexible access to care services, particularly in community or remote care settings where traditional smartcard workflows may be less practical.

CIS supports the management of Care Identities, which are used to assign permissions and authenticators to NHS and other health and care workers. Registration Authorities manage these identities, permissions, and authenticators according to each organization’s access requirements, supporting accountable access to clinical systems and patient information. Together, these capabilities support secure and efficient access workflows across NHS and other health and care organizations.

CIS supports access to a wide range of national clinical information systems, including systems used for e-referrals, summary care records, and electronic prescriptions. As NHS identity and authentication services change over time, Imprivata remains focused on helping healthcare organizations manage secure access across clinical environments. Imprivata healthcare solutions support efficient workflows by helping organizations protect sensitive information, simplify application access, and give care teams secure access to the systems they need across hospitals and health systems.