Proving ones identity to use NHS app

You have my sympathy. My late MIL did not bother to renew her passport or driving licence, and was taken aback to be asked, aged eighty and living in suburbia, whether she had a gun licence (if she had had, I would I be here now?).

Dare one suggest that ID cards might have their uses?

Nothing wrong with ID cards. Many countries have them, including France, Germany, Greece, Finland, and many others in the EU. Strange that so many people in Britain are against them because they clearly are not problematic, and in fact solve many problems for those without a passport or driving licence.

I don't have a passport or driving licence any more but managed to register for NHS somehow, so don't give up.

You will of course need photographic ID to vote, but I shall use my bus pass for that.

In England, you can register for the NHS app without photo ID if you register for online services with your GP. It's explained here:

help.login.nhs.uk/provewhoyouare/withoutid/

It says:

How to register for your GP surgery’s online services

Tell your GP surgery that you want to register for their online services. They will ask you to fill in a form.

You will then be given 3 registration details:

Linkage Key (could be called Passphrase)
ODS Code (could be called Organisation Code or Practice ID)
Account ID

If your GP is in England, you can use these 3 registration details to prove who you are instead of sending a photo of your ID.

I dont intend going abroad again but I recently shelled out for a new passport as it is the only photo ID I can have - I dont drive.

I have no objection to ID cards as I believe they will help keep track of who belongs in this country and who does not. Id like to see a situation where you could not access basic services without one. No hospitals, doctors, schools, libraries, food shopping, entertainment, etc. That would be one in the eye for people who "dont belong" here because they entered by an illegal route.

I also would welcome some form of identity card as like others I have not renewed passport or driving license when I no longer needed them.
There have been occasions quite recently when I have had to prove my identity and it was difficult.
One was proving a bond taken out many years ago actually belonged to me as I had lost paperwork.
I was eventually able to cash it in.

This happens on a lot of sites not just NHS app. They always ask for passport,drivers licence or on a couple of sites national identity card. Did email them and point out national identity cards haven't been issued since WW2. But they wouldn't budge. Those 3 things or nothing. In the end had to spend a hour on hold and you guessed it was a local government department. They needed photo id I have my bus pass and blue disabled badge but not good enough. So have to phone every time I need to speak to them and hold until the phone is answered . I wish when you are on hold they say what number you are in the queue. That way you can decide to wait or try later.

maddyone

Nothing wrong with ID cards. Many countries have them, including France, Germany, Greece, Finland, and many others in the EU. Strange that so many people in Britain are against them because they clearly are not problematic, and in fact solve many problems for those without a passport or driving licence.

Yes, I never understood why they were dispensed with after the war. Your loyalty cards and Google contain more information about you than an ID would. Family in Germany have one, needed to open bank account, take out health insurance, most helpful item.

I have the same problem...no photo ID. I would have no objection to ID cards, I don't see what the fuss is all about.
Some places will accept a bank or credit card as proof of identity. I think I used my birth certificate when I registered with a new GP.

It seems in this country we really prefer making identifying yourself as difficult as possible. It's a mess. What are we afraid of? ID-cards make life a lot easier. Why should you have to pay for a passport or produce utility bills to identify yourself? It's all so backward.

I think ID cards would be good.

I first visited the doctors surgery and asked how to go about going online for prescriptions etc.. They gave me a form which I filled in and handed back then they sent me a passcode by text with a website address, I logged in with all the details they sent me and it has been fantastic. There is another NHS website that does ask for all the I.D things you mention but it is not the GP website one, they are both different systems.

do you have a bus pass.. I use mine for ID at elections as have no passport or driving licence

I have a PASS Card which is acceptable voter ID and proof of age. Not accepted for NHS app unfortunately.
I got mine free by using the code FREEVOTERID when applying.
You'll need a referee to confirm your identity if you've not got a passport or driving licence.

RunaroundSue

I first visited the doctors surgery and asked how to go about going online for prescriptions etc.. They gave me a form which I filled in and handed back then they sent me a passcode by text with a website address, I logged in with all the details they sent me and it has been fantastic. There is another NHS website that does ask for all the I.D things you mention but it is not the GP website one, they are both different systems.

This is how I accessed the NHS app.

RunaroundSue

I first visited the doctors surgery and asked how to go about going online for prescriptions etc.. They gave me a form which I filled in and handed back then they sent me a passcode by text with a website address, I logged in with all the details they sent me and it has been fantastic. There is another NHS website that does ask for all the I.D things you mention but it is not the GP website one, they are both different systems.

Not all GP practices offer this option though - ours no longer does and we have to order prescriptions via the NHS app. Or the slower route via the NHS website in DH’s case, as his iPhone 6 is not compatible with the app.

Having just been advised by our local library service to shell out for a new Kindle because I soon won’t be able to download their books to my 7 year old one, I feel a thread about forced obsolescence coming on……

Identity cards are the way forward, they store all the relevant information about the holder.

I have been using the app for a while I provided my email address and my NI number to access the site. To go on my records with more details I requested it at the health centre.
I was given a form with a pass word to access the site more in-depth.

As an Army wife, I and the rest of the family, had ID cards when we were stationed in Germany, and when we retired to live Cyprus for a few years, not a problem at all. I, like many of you see no objection to them as someone said the supermarket loyalty cards have a shed load of information on them and doesn't seem to bother anyone.

If you favour ID cards then you may as well apply for a passport.

The scheme that Labour has started to introduce in 2006 as part of a counter-terrorism initiative - subseqently abolished by the Conservative/Liberal Coalition in 2010 - was not free to applicants.

Earlier research suggested the UK have a combined Passport/ID system which would cost more to the applicant than the passport.

In polls, the biggest reasons for not wanting ID cards were:

80% - determined criminals and terrorists will forge the cards
74% - the scheme will be enormously expensive
71% - information will be hacked or leaked
61% - information will be improperly passed to foreign governments

One of the questions asked in surveys was:

As part of the National Identity Scheme the government has also proposed that everyone is required to attend an interview to give personal details about themselves for use by the police, tax authorities and all other government departments. From what you have seen or heard do you think that this is a..?

Very good idea 10%
Good idea 31%
Bad idea 33%
Very bad idea 23%

I think some people think this would be as easy as applying for a bus pass. It wouldn’t be.

Why can most countries in the EU manage it then?

A bus pass will suffice as identification for voting purposes. wo why not for NHS identification? I don't think this has been thought through. At one time, my credit card has a photograph though the bank eventually discontinued photo cards. Recently I unearthed my 83 year old wartime id card - not a lot of use even then as it was not a photo card. I certainly would not say no to the introduction of identity cards but what political party would put that on their manifesto?

A bus pass will suffice as identification for voting purposes.

Only for older people.

The Elections Act 2022 requires voters to show photo ID at UK Parliamentary elections, police and crime commissioner elections and at local elections in England. The act was criticised in Parliament for permitting as acceptable voter identification "an Older Person’s Bus Pass, an Oyster 60+ Card, a Freedom Pass", while not allowing 18+ student Oyster cards, national railcards, or student ID cards. An amendment in the House of Lords to list these as accepted forms of voter identification was rejected by Boris Johnson's second Conservative government. (Wiki)

Now, why night that have been?