Occupational Health Smart Cards

The Occupational Health Smart Card (OHSC) was introduced in 2001, and now has 60,000 hospital doctors and 10,000 medical students using the system. The smart card is a secure means of recording, storing and sharing data to ensure that the holders have undergone all the tests necessary before they are allowed to work in the NHS.

The central database holds personal employment details, and accurate, up to date health clearance information. The latest version, version 6, allows operators to update information without the need for the doctor to present their card in person. This ensures that the information stored on the database is up to date, a doctor will still need to present their card for updating if they wish the information stored on the card to be the same as on the database. The use of the smart card system by Trusts reduces the amount of paperwork doctors need to provide, or complete every time they take up a new post or begin work at another Trust.

Recent developments based on feedback received from trust operators has made the system more in line with trust processes and enabled medical staffing to make better use of the system. Doctors may now apply for a card online rather than through medical staffing departments. Although Occupational Health data will still need inputting by the OH staff, trusts who are using the Electronic Staff Record system will soon be able to download personal data ( date of birth, address etc) from ESR into the OHSC database from late January onwards.

Discussions are ongoing to enable the OHSC to interface with the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS), which will enable the data which is needed for pre employment checks to be provided electronically. A link with the GMC database has also been established which enables trusts to check a doctor's registration status based on their GMC or medical student number. The information provided by the GMC is updated every 24 hours. The OHSC also has the facility to record if a CRB check has been undertaken and if it is up to date, which can help to reduce delays in appointments.