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Fully digitised: FAQs for suppliers not on the Assured Solutions List

What does 'fully digitised' mean? 

A fully digitised care provider is one that: 

  • Uses an assured digital social care record (DSCR) from the Assured Solutions List
  • Complies with the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) at 'Standards Met' level 

This combination lays the foundations for real-time visibility of information across health and care services, enabling better coordination of care. 

Why is the government aiming for all care providers to be 'fully digitised' by the end of this Parliament? 

Four out of five care providers (80%) have already moved from paper to digital care record solutions. The next step is for all care providers to use solutions which have core capabilities and meet government standards. The government is aiming for all care providers to be fully digitised so that: 

  • Service user data is recorded and stored safely
  • Solutions meet consistent national standards
  • Solutions continue to evolve to meet the sector's changing needs
  • People using adult social care services, their carers and families can be confident that providers meet baseline levels of digitisation 

When do care providers need to be fully digitised? 

In January 2025, the government announced its ambition for all care providers to become fully digitised by the end of this parliament (currently June 2029). 

This means care staff will have timely access to essential medical information, improving the quality and safety of care. 

How will the Department of Health and Social Care know if a provider is fully digitised? 

The Department uses existing data collections that care providers already complete: 

  • Monthly Capacity Tracker – identifies which digital social care record (DSCR) solution providers use to record care planning information
  • Annual Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) – confirms whether care providers meet the 'Standards Met' criteria 

Joining the Assured Solutions List (ASL) 

What are the benefits of being on the Assured Solutions List? 

Joining the ASL provides several strategic advantages for your business: 

Market access and eligibility 

Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and local authorities are increasingly looking for care providers to use assured DSCRs before awarding contracts or continuing to work with them.  

Over time, we envisage this will become standard practice. Without assurance, care providers using your solution may be excluded from delivering Local Authority funded services – directly impacting your market position. 

Credibility and trust 

NHS England assurance signals that your product meets national standards for: 

  • Safety
  • Security 
  • Interoperability
  • Usability 

This builds trust with care providers who want reassurance that their chosen solution is reliable and future-proof. It distinguishes your product in a competitive marketplace. 

Connecting health and social care data 

Care providers will not be fully digitised without using an assured DSCR, so if you are no longer on the assured solution list you may lose customers. 

Through assured DSCRs, appropriate staff can access core patient information for the people in their care via GP Connect. 

But the key benefit is future-proofing. Building a new national data infrastructure (also known as Social Care Interoperability Platform) to join up health and care services is a priority for the Digitising Social Care Programme. Following an open and competitive procurement, a contract has been awarded to SoftCat PLC working in partnership with Synanetics to carry out research with the sector to identify the best approach for building the infrastructure. Once the infrastructure is developed, assured solutions will be able to connect with other systems across health and social care 

Assured digital social care records are also an essential part of the vision for the Single Patient Record. This will give people a single, secure and authoritative account of their data and a single record across health and care settings to enable more co-ordinated, personalised and predictive care.   

Key information about an individual’s care contained in an assured digital social care record would be shared through the Single Patient Record, with appropriate governance and controls. This means care professionals would have real-time access to essential information, enabling better assessment and planning for the people you support.  

Non-assured solutions may not be able to share data in this way, 

Long-term sustainability 

As the sector moves towards universal digital working, assurance demonstrates your commitment to meeting evolving standards and staying relevant in the market. 

How do I get assured? 

The assurance process involves demonstrating that your DSCR meets published standards across several key areas including security, interoperability, usability and business continuity. 

Steps to apply 

How much does the assurance process cost? 

There is no fee to join the Assured Solutions List for digital social care records. NHS England does not currently charge suppliers to go through the assurance process. 

You may have costs when preparing your solution and application. These depend on: 

  • how mature your product is
  • how closely your solution meets the required standards and capabilities
  • any development needed to achieve compliance
  • whether you already hold certifications such as Cyber Essentials Plus or ISO 27001
  • resources and staff time needed to prepare documentation
  • technical resources to respond to assurance queries
  • testing and quality assurance activities
  • project management and coordination
  • external support, such as consultancy or specialist advice
  • independent security testing or penetration testing
  • technical assessments or audits 

You are responsible for making sure your product meets the standards and capabilities in the DSCR assurance framework. The more development work you need, the higher your costs will be. 

Do a gap analysis against the published standards early in your planning. This will help you: 

  • understand what work is required
  • estimate costs accurately
  • plan a realistic timeline for achieving assurance 

How often do I need to renew my assurance status? 

Your overall assurance status does not expire. Once you're on the Assured Solutions List, you remain on it as long as you continue to meet the required standards. 

Some certifications and evidence must be renewed regularly. The list of annual renewal requirements is available in Confluence. 

You must ensure these certifications and tests remain current. If any expire, you may be asked to provide updated evidence or risk being removed from the Assured Solutions List. 

NHS England may conduct periodic reviews to confirm continued compliance with standards 

What happens if I fail to meet the assurance criteria? 

During initial assessment: 

  • If your solution doesn't meet the assurance criteria when you apply, it will not be added to the Assured Solutions List.
  • You'll receive feedback explaining which standards or capabilities were not met. You can address these gaps and resubmit your application when ready. 

What are the common reasons for rejection from the ASL? 

Any solution that does not meet any of the effective standards and capabilities cannot be listed on the Assured Solutions List. 

Applications are often rejected because of: 

  • incomplete submissions
  • missing evidence for claimed capabilities
  • insufficient detail in supporting documentation 

If your application is not successful, we’ll tell you which standards or capabilities you did not meet. You can apply again once you’ve fixed the issues 

Before you apply: 

  • do a thorough self-assessment against all published standards
  • make sure all required certifications are up to date
  • prepare clear evidence for each capability
  • ask the Digitising Social Care team if you’re unsure about any requirements 

We've developed an in-house DSCR. What are the implications for us? 

In-house digital social care records developed by care provider organisations must meet the same standards as commercial DSCR solutions to be included on the Assured Solutions List. 

Requirements for in-house DSCRs: 

  • Your solution must achieve conformance with all standards and capabilities listed in the digital social care records standards framework.  

Why this matters: 

Even if your in-house solution is only used by your own organisation, achieving assurance: 

  • demonstrates your solution meets national quality and security standards
  • enables access to a restricted view of the GP record and future interoperability with further NHS systems
  • provides assurance to regulators and commissioners
  • future-proofs your technology investment 

The assurance process: 

  • The process for in-house DSCRs is the same as for commercial suppliers
  • While there is currently no requirement for in-house DSCRs to be assured, this is likely to become increasingly important as:
    • commissioners look for providers to use assured solutions
    • interoperability becomes essential for coordinated care
    • national standards become embedded across the sector 

We recommend starting the assurance process as early as possible to ensure your solution can meet future requirements. 

Support and further information 

Where can I find technical documentation and standards? 

Read the digital social care records standards on the Digital Social Care Records Confluence space 

There is guidance for suppliers on the digitising social care website. Guidance for software suppliers 

Who should I contact with questions about the assurance process? 

For questions about: 

  • Joining the Assured Solutions List 
  • Technical requirements
  • Application process
  • Standards and capabilities 

Contact the Digitising Social Care team via: www.digitisingsocialcare.co.uk 

For questions about data security and protection contact the Better Security, Better Care programme 

For questions about cyber security requirements contact the National Cyber Security Centre guidance on Cyber Essentials Plus and related certifications 

How can I stay informed about changes to standards? 

What happens after I achieve assurance? 

Once your DSCR is added to the Assured Solutions List: 

  • You'll be listed publicly: Your solution will appear on the ASL at www.digitisingsocialcare.co.uk, making it visible to care providers, commissioners and Integrated Care Boards
  • Marketing and communications: You can promote your assured status to demonstrate that your solution meets national standards
  • Ongoing compliance: You must maintain current certifications and continue to meet published standards
  • Future requirements: You'll need to work towards compliance with new standards as they're introduced on the roadmap 

Glossary 

  • Assured Solutions List (ASL): The list of digital social care record solutions approved by NHS England as meeting national quality, security and interoperability standards.
  • Cyber Essentials Plus: A government-backed cyber security certification that demonstrates your organisation has effective security controls in place.
  • Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT): An online self-assessment that organisations use to measure their performance against data security and information governance requirements.
  • Digital Social Care Record (DSCR): A digital solution for recording, storing and managing information about people's care and support needs.
  • Interoperability: The ability of different systems to connect and share information with each other securely and effectively.
  • ISO 27001: An international standard for information security management systems.