Problems logging in and authenticating

You see an error when attempting to log in to a service using your smartcard or other Care Identity Service authenticator.

You may see a login error, or any of the following:

• a blank screen
• 'Page not found'
• 'This site can't be reached'
• 'ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT'
• 'Blocked by proxy'
• 'Domain not authorised'

This can happen because:

• your network is filtering out the required domains for the service
• you are using Microsoft Edge browser in compatibility mode, which is not supported

Check that you are not using Microsoft Edge in compatibility mode

Using Microsoft Edge in compatibility mode will cause you to see a blank screen for Care Identity Management after logging in.

Select Tools in the Edge menu bar (or Alt + T), then Compatibility View Settings. Verify that:

• the site is not in the list
• 'Use Microsoft compatibility lists' is unchecked
• 'Display Intranet Sites in Compatibility View' is unchecked

Report this issue to your local IT team

If you're a healthcare worker trying to log in with a smartcard, you will need to get IT support. Depending on your organisation, this may be through your IT helpdesk, or via a dedicated Registration Authority team.

As each organisation is set up differently, we cannot provide contact details that work for everyone. Check your intranet for links to an IT helpdesk, Registration Authority or smartcard team.

Users must be able to access certain domains to be able to use Care Identity applications and services.

To find out how to configure this access, read our guidance on allowing domains and using proxies or VPNs.

Setup checker tool

You can use the setup checker tool to find out whether a device will be able to run Care Identity Authentication.

NHS England Diagnostic Tool

Download the NHS England Diagnostic Tool and generate a diagnostic log for the workstation.

The Diagnostic Tool should be the first resort for all Care Identity Service troubleshooting on a user's machine, where the cause is unclear. The vast majority of reported problems can be diagnosed and fixed using this. You will need local machine admin access to run the tool and complete any fixes that it highlights.

Contact the National Service Desk

If you have been through all the steps above but still cannot progress, you should raise a case to the National Service Desk on the NHS Digital Customer Portal or email [email protected]

To get the best service, follow these instructions when writing your support request:

Short description Problems logging in and authenticating

Long description

I am a member of the IT team for my organisation.

A user is trying to [action they are trying to do e.g. print smartcard]

They get the following error:

[Text of any error the user sees]

• I have followed the troubleshooting steps as described here: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/care-identity-service/setting-up-and-troubleshooting/common-issues/problems-logging-in-and-authenticating

• I attach a copy of the diagnostic log for the workstation(s)

• I confirm that the workstation conforms to the Warrantied Environment Specification

• This affects X number of users

• The Error Response ID is [add ID - only include this if the Error Response ID is shown on the error page]