News - week commencing 22 June 2026

NCRS in running in INT on both Internet Gateway and our new accounts in AWS. Like the SCRa to NCRS migration we have built a redirect mechanism for users to move from IGWAY to the new infra, which will be enabled shortly in the Integration environment. In effect, we will redirect a specified percentage of users to the new AWS infrastructure. The redirect can be disabled with simple config change in the event of issues. Approximately 10% of the NCRS traffic will be redirected initially and  the traffic will be monitored for issues. A larger percentage of traffic will be redirected in the coming weeks. The application code and config on both sides is identical, so users will see no difference apart from a new URL. The redirect is seamless and transparent, the users won’t know it’s happened.

This is part of a phased migration.

The URL change will apply to NCRS in these environments as follows:

• Integration
  • From: https://portal.intspineservices.nhs.uk/nationalcarerecordsservice/
  • To: https://int.nonprod-ncrs.nhs.uk/nationalcarerecordsservice
• Live
  • From: https://portal.spineservices.nhs.uk/nationalcarerecordsservice/
  • To: https://www.national-care-records-service.nhs.uk/

Users will be auto-redirected and links on Spine Portal will be updated. Please adjust your your firewall rules to allow these URLs.

A new version of the Endpoint Registration (EPR) Software is being released. The release will consist of three phases

Phase1 - A new User Interface

The User Interface has been given a long overdue facelift in line with recent NHSE standards. The functionality remains largely unchanged and is hopefully intuitive.

Phase 2 - Integration with CIS2

EPR is one of the last NHSE systems to migrate to CIS2 Auth. We expect to decommission CIS1 Auth by Feb ’27.

Phase 3 - Java Uplift

The system needs a seismic jump in Java version for security and other reasons.

The general strategy will be to deploy each of these changes into the Path to Live (PTL) environments, Integration and Deployment, every few weeks for testing by internal NHSE teams and any 3^rd parties that use EPR in the PTL environments, then into the Production environment around a month later, assuming we haven’t found any major issues that require extensive rework.

The release schedule is 

• Phase 1 into PTL 6 May – Production 3 Jun​
• Phase 2 into PTL 20 May – Production 17 Jun
• Phase 3 into PTL 17 Jun – Production 15 Jul

When the new versions are deployed, the legacy / prior version will be disabled. We will not be  ‘dual running’ the two alongside each other. In case of severe issues, rollback may be required and this will be advertised on the PTL website. 

Given there are no functional changes to EPR, and much of the uplift is either cosmetic (UI) or transparent (Java), there is not currently any written guidance. 

The Test Data Self Service Portal (TDSSP) is a powerful test data generation platform that creates realistic synthetic patient records, enabling teams to develop, test and assure digital services without using real patient data.
Built and owned by the DGAT (Data Governance, Assurance and Testing) team, and run day-to-day by the test data team, TDSSP has become a quiet but critical enabler of NHS digital delivery.

The platform has now reached a major milestone, supporting over 1,000 users across the NHS. Its reach spans organisations including Boots, Oracle, EMIS, Hippo, Accenture and System C, alongside a wide range of national NHS service teams, highlighting its growing role across the health and care ecosystem.

For staff, TDSSP removes the friction of sourcing test data, speeding up onboarding and allowing teams to focus on delivery. For patients, it ensures digital services are tested against realistic data before going live, contributing to safer, more consistent care experiences. For the wider NHS, it drives standardisation, improved data quality, and efficiency at scale.
This milestone reflects both the strength of the service and the increasing demand for robust, reusable test data as a core component of modern digital delivery.

Due to the removal of our core architecture and supporting tooling, ITOC and the Test Data team will no longer be able to provide maintenance and support for Organisation Data Service (ODS) data. This includes the issuance and ongoing management of organisation codes (e.g. GP practices, trusts, pharmacies).

This change is scheduled to come into effect from 30 June 2026. We will bemaintaining a formal impact log which will be escalated and shared with the senior management team.