NHS Smartcard Printing
Technical architecture, dependencies and connectivity · Reviewed 20 October 2026
What hardware, software and connectivity are needed to issue and manage NHS smartcards reliably?
Build the design around a supported Windows RA workstation, appropriate readers, the Magicard DoH 300 and Smartcard Connect. Internet-based CIS2 authentication is supported. A successful sign-in alone does not prove that card issuance, electronic personalisation and printing work together. SRC-002, SRC-003
This independent research wiki helps RA teams, IT support and architects define a deployment and test it. It is organisation-neutral and is not an NHS publication or an operational approval.
Start with the decision you need to make
- Plan the system: read the architecture and requirements.
- Prepare a workstation: use the hardware and software baseline.
- Configure access: check connectivity and browser policies.
- Choose card and desktop support: review Series 10 and virtual desktops.
- Accept the deployment: run the issuance workflow and acceptance checklist.
- Investigate a fault: follow the support and maintenance guide.
Four boundaries to preserve
| Decision | Research position |
|---|---|
| Authentication vs issuance | Validate them as separate activities. |
| Product capability vs NHS support | Apply the current NHS configuration guidance. |
| Published requirement vs local recommendation | The requirements label each separately. |
| Research verification vs physical testing | Sources were checked; no card was issued during this research. |
flowchart TB
accTitle: Deployment assurance path
accDescr: Published guidance informs the chosen configuration, which must pass local acceptance before operational use.
guidance["Published guidance"] --> setup["Chosen configuration"]
setup --> tests["Local acceptance"]
tests --> use["Operational use"]Explore the source register, evidence matrix, knowledge graph or agent guide. The scope and corrections explain what changed from the supplied draft.