Patient Verification Levels and Proving Identity

P0, P5 and P9 verification levels and how patients prove their identity to connect their NHS App to the practice

Low Level Verification (P0) – The patient created an account with an email address and password

Medium Level Verification (P5) – The patient has provided some additional information, which has been checked to correspond to a record on the NHS Personal Demographics Service (PDS).

This may include their date of birth, NHS number, name and postcode.

Medium level verification can allow users to use services such as contacting their GP or receiving notifications. It does not provide access to health records or personal information.

High Level Verification (P9) – To be verified to access personal information, patients must have completed an online or offline identity verification process, where physical comparison between photo ID and the user has been made.

The patient’s NHS Account can then be connected to the GP surgery’s clinical system.

Patients need to prove their identity to access their health records and information. This can be done both with and without photo ID.

Patients with a valid ID can prove their identity through video identification:

For video identification, the patient:

1. submits a valid form of Photo ID and enters their NHS number
2. submits a video of them saying four specific numbers out loud
3. receives an email to let them know verification is taking place
4. NHS login will check on the Patient Demographic Service (PDS) to see if the information matches to what has been submitted by the patient

If the patient has successfully been verified, the patient will receive email confirmation.

If the patient has failed the verification check, they will receive a rejection email stating the reason they were not verified.

If a patient has already used NHS login for GP online services, they can choose to transfer the previous ID check if they use the mobile number on their NHS record.

The patient can then be verified through the central database without having to redo ID verification. Patients can only use this verification process once.

For the Central Database Route (or Identity Verification via Mobile - IDVM):

1. NHS login scans the GP's IT system
2. NHS login confirms whether a Linkage Key (EMIS/OPTUM) or Passphrase (TPP) exists
3. If it does not exist, NHS login can create one for the user
4. NHS login will complete some checks on the following:

• the patient has not started the Video Route or tried the Central Database Route before
• the patient has done their One-Time Password (OTP)
• the patient has a ODS code which is registered with the clinical supplier system
• the patient's number, provided during registration, matches the number held in PDS

If everything matches and is successful, NHS login will generate the patient a linkage key/passphrase and they will be verified successfully.

The PIN document Route without a Photo ID, or who can’t take videos or use the central database route.

This is completed by the GP surgery, where they provide the linkage details in what is known as a Registration Detail or PIN document, this contains an:

• Account ID - 10-15 characters in length
• Linkage Key (EMIS/Optum) or a Passphrase (TPP) - 6-15 characters in length
• ODS Code (the GP surgery’s unique identifier)

When a GP creates a patient's online account, they can verify their identity and can then generate a PIN document from their system. It is presumed that, in line with the surgery's policy, they will have taken steps when initially onboarding a patient to verify their identity.

Optum (formerly EMIS) systems sometimes generate short account IDs and linkage keys, please check this when printing or emailing a PIN document.

In the NHS App, the patient then:

• selects How to prove who you are without Photo ID
• responds Yes when asked if they use their GP surgery's online services
• selects Yes when asked if they have all 3 details
• enters the ODS code, account ID and linkage key or passphrase from the PIN document
• enters their name and date of birth when prompted, and submits their details