Publish date: 9 June 2022
What happens if my Smartcard needs renewing?
If your Smartcard is one of those due for renewal, you will receive a prompt to renew online at each login as shown in the screenshot below:
Self-renewing your Smartcard is quick and easy - please select ‘yes’ from the notification and follow the on-screen instructions. You can also do this online from the NHS Digital website.
Due to the large number of NHS Smartcards due to expire nationally on the same day, it is vitally important that you renew your Smartcard as soon as possible when prompted - well before the expiry date. For the best experience, please try to avoid the ‘peak times’ of 8.30am to 9.30am and 12.30pm to 2pm when self-renewing your Smartcard, as these times will become increasingly busy as the renewal date approaches.
What happens if I don’t renew my Smartcard?
If you don’t self-renew your Smartcard in advance of the renewal date, your Smartcard will expire. This means that you won’t be able to use it to access the NHS Smartcard-enabled systems you use as part of your role.
Once this happens, you will need to arrange for a new Smartcard to be created and issued to you. This can be arranged by making an appointment with the Registration Authority (RA) through your IT Service Desk.
Please be mindful that during this time your RA service is likely to be extremely busy, and there might be an extended resolution time to issue new Smartcards. This is why it is important that you self-renew your existing Smartcard online in advance of the expiry date. For step-by-step instructions on how to self-renew your NHS Smartcard, please follow the guidance above or visit the NHS Digital website.