Partner service management

There are different types of incidents related to NHS login, including:

• users having issues with their NHS login account preventing them from logging into your service
• technical issues affecting the NHS login service itself
• issues with the integration between your service and NHS login

Each of these types of incident has been categorised by priority (1 to 5) and requires different levels of response.

Incident
An unplanned interruption to a service, or a reduction in the quality of a service.
Major incident 
A critical incident, usually priority 1 or priority 2, that requires an immediate coordinated response.
Problem 
A recurring or underlying issue that we are investigating to find a permanent fix.
Priority 
How we categorise incidents (1 to 5) based on their impact on the service and users. Priority 1 is the most critical.
Problem record 
A record we create when we identify a recurring issue or bug, used to track root cause investigation and resolution.

If a user contacts you about a problem with NHS login, direct them to the NHS login Help centre where they can raise an incident using our Contact us form.

The user should select which website or app they were trying to use when they experienced the issue.

Common issues users may report include:

• problems logging in
• issues proving their identity
• not receiving a security code
• being unable to access your service after logging in

You do not need to raise a ticket on behalf of the user. NHS login support will handle their query directly.

To raise a support incident with NHS login, contact the NHS login team through the NHS England Customer Portal.

Include the required data listed below to help us resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Incident management process

1. User raises an incident with your service.
2. You investigate the incident.
3. If you are unable to resolve the incident, raise it through the NHS England Customer Portal.
4. NHS login 1st Line Service Desk provide a resolution or forward to NHS login DevOps for further investigation.
5. NHS login DevOps investigate and either fix the issue or record it as a new problem.
6. Resolution provided to partner service.
7. Response provided to the user.

To help resolve each incident, we need a minimum amount of data.

This includes:

• date and time
• user email address
• error type
• issue description
• device type (mobile, tablet, PC, or laptop)
• operating system type and version
• error codes (if recorded)
• screenshots (if available)
• any actions taken so far
• impact statement, for example number of users affected or business impact (if known)

Do not send patient identifiable data (such as last name or NHS number).

If we need to contact you about an incident, we will use the contact details you provided in the National Service Desk registration form, unless you have given an alternative contact method.

A major incident is usually classed as a priority 1 or priority 2 incident in line with NHS England's incident classification and prioritisation matrix.

Situations that may qualify as a major incident include:

• service degradation
• loss of functionality
• infrastructure outages
• impact of outage on users or other reliant or connected services
   

In the event of a major incident that affects NHS login, we may need to inform partners. 

How to subscribe to major incident alerts:

1. Go to https://www.support.digitalservices.nhs.uk.
2. Log in or register for an account if you do not have one.
3. Go to the Service Status section on the homepage. 
4. Select the option to subscribe to  'Further outage information'

Alternatively, search 'alert subscription request' in the search bar.

If you need help setting this up contact [email protected].
 

When we identify a recurring issue or bug, we create a problem record to investigate the root cause and find a fix.

The number of incidents raised against a problem helps us prioritise which fixes to develop and release.

NHS login is updated regularly so we can respond to partner needs and fix issues quickly.

We usually release changes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Before each release, we:

1. Tell partners which features are being considered, usually around 24 hours before the release.
2. Let partners know when major changes are available to test in the relevant integration environment.
3. Publish the release contents on our service updates and releases page.
4. Release the update to NHS login.

Each release is subject to assurance and approval from NHS England and, where relevant, from partners. If approval cannot be given safely, the release may be delayed or changed.

See the NHS login roadmap for our planned changes and future priorities.