Hello we're the Registration Authority (RA) team and we are responsible for registering and verifying the identity of staff that need to access the information held on national and local Spine enabled healthcare systems.

As a team, we issue Smartcards to authorised staff with an approved level of access to patient information. This is essential to protect the security and confidentiality of personal and healthcare information.

It is important that everyone who will have access to patient information has been through the same, rigorous identity checks. For example, an outpatients’ receptionist will have access to some patient information, but not the same level of clinical detail as a GP or consultant.

We are trained in operating the national RA processes, equipment and applications and are responsible for developing and implementing local RA policies and processes.

As a service, we currently provide support for over 8,000 Smartcards and have specialist knowledge in a number of Smartcard enabled systems including:

• Electronic Staff Record
• Summary Care Record
• Electronica Referral System
• EMIS Web
• RiO clinical information system
• Secondary Uses Service
• Care Identity Service

For further information, please read more about our registration authority (RA) service.