NHS Employers responds to digital identity consultation
NHS Employers has submitted a response to the government consultation on a proposed national digital ID system for British and Irish citizens and foreign nationals with permission to be in the UK.
The consultation looks at plans for a single, government-issued digital identity that people could use to prove who they are when accessing public services and other wider uses, such as employment.
For HR in the NHS, this matters because identity checking underpins safer recruitment, including reliable right to work and DBS processes. Employers in the NHS recruit at high volume and current approaches can be paper heavy, inconsistent and at risk to fraud and error.
Key points
In our response:
- We welcomed the potential benefits such as faster onboarding, improved consistency and compliance, and better fraud prevention, but emphasised that the approach must work at NHS scale.
- We highlighted the need for alignment with the NHS Employment Check Standards and integration with national NHS recruitment and staff record systems, so that employers do not face duplicated costs and variation.
- Where checks are delivered through a digital verification service, we raised concerns about the risk of inefficiency and inconsistency if every NHS employer is required to procure their own solution, and pointed to the potential benefits of a centrally provided or commissioned approach.
- We also emphasised the importance of inclusion, so applicants who cannot use a digital route are not disadvantaged.
Next steps
We will continue to engage as policy develops to help ensure that any future digital identity approach is safe, inclusive and practical for NHS recruitment.
For queries, please contact us.
View the consultation on the GOV.UK website.
