Stage 3 - Assure

Ensure you have the correct level of safety, governance, and security for your integrated software with the NHS e-Referral Service.

At this stage you should have working software that you have tested in our integration environment.

To facilitate assurance, the SCAL (Supplier Conformance Assessment List) and the assurance stages checklist must be submitted to the e-RS Solution Assurance (SA) team at [email protected].

They will require written confirmation that your development and testing phases have concluded. You may be required to submit test completion reports (TCR) or an equivalent asset upon request.

Your documentation will be reviewed and the SA team will send you a witness test pack.

3.21 Witness testing

Partners must undergo witness testing to validate conformance to requirements.

The individual steps in this phase include:

1. Review the witness test pack.
2. You will be required to execute the test cases provided in our test environment at least once and complete the witness test pack with your results. Where a test is not applicable, please provide justification.
3. Complete the assurance checklist confirming testing is complete and submit this along with the witness test pack to [email protected].
4. The SA team will review your documentation and schedule a witness testing session.
5. Following witness testing, email or verbal confirmation of tests that have passed or that require remedial action will be provided.
6. Update to the SCAL may be required to reflect the testing activities.

3.22 Technical Conformance Certificate (TCC)

On successful completion of the SCAL process, a TCC will be issued to confirm suitability for go-live. This will be sent via email.

Please embed the TCC in the SCAL and return to [email protected]. 

This marks the end of the assurance process.

Upon issue of the TCC, a connection agreement will be issued by the Live Services Onboarding (LSOB) team.

3.31 User-restricted

If you're using user-restricted access, review and sign the connection agreement.

Send the signed connection agreement to LSOB at [email protected] and include [email protected].

3.32 Application-restricted

If you're using application-restricted access, an additional governance step is required.

Review and sign the initial connection approval form.

Send the signed connection agreement and initial connection approval form to LSOB at [email protected] and include [email protected].

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