Deprecation notice: unlocking smartcards in the CIS application

• The smartcard unlock function will no longer work in the Care Identity Service application from 31 January 2024.
• Registration Authorities and unlockers can use Care Identity Management (CIM) to unlock smartcards and this service is available now. 
• Smartcard holders can also use self-service to unlock their own smartcard, also available now.

Smartcards can currently be unlocked in the Care Identity Service (CIS) application. We are removing this functionality.

This will affect all smartcard unlockers, including:

• Registration Authority managers
• Registration Authority agents and advanced agents
• sponsors
• local smartcard administrators

All users can already use Care Identity Management (CIM) to unlock a smartcard and renew expired certificates.

However, we encourage all healthcare professionals to use smartcard self-service unlock to unlock their own smartcard. The service is open to everyone with an email address associated with their Care Identity profile. An email can be added to their profile in CIM.

Registration Authorities

Please contact all your local smartcard administrators to let them know that they need to switch to CIM. If you have a list of email addresses to send this information to, you can copy and paste this text:

The process for unlocking a smartcard is changing from 31 January 2024. From that date you must use Care Identity Management to unlock a smartcard.

Please go to the following link to read step-by-step instructions:
https://digital.nhs.uk/services/care-identity-service/applications-and-services/care-identity-management/user-guides/managing-smartcards/unlock-a-smartcard

We encourage all colleagues to use the Care Identity Management service for smartcard unlocks before 31 January 2024, in order to confirm you can access the service.

IT teams

CIM is an internet-facing service. Your organisation will need to allow access to our required domains. Read information about:

• configuring access to CIM
• troubleshooting common issues

The old Care Identity Service application is being switched off, and users are being moved to the new CIM service.

We have been dual-running both services for more than a year, and will be switching off features gradually until we can retire the old service completely. By moving user groups over in stages, we can reduce the risk of unexpected issues causing disruption to the service.

Local smartcard administrators have been able to use CIM to unlock smartcards since August 2023. They are the first user group to be moved completely onto CIM.

Read guidance on how to use:

• Care Identity Management
• self-service smartcard unlock

The Care Identity Management team will be running drop-in sessions to support user migration. Read more about these sessions.