What to do if the NHS App cannot verify your identity

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

An identity-check failure in the NHS App is an account-access problem. It does not itself mean you have been refused medical care. Full access requires identity verification; some personal features remain unavailable until it is complete. The NHS App is for people aged 13 and over registered with a GP in England. See NHS full-access guidance ↗.

Identify the stage that is failing

Record the message and reference code. A missing security code, a failed photograph check and a GP-system connection error require different solutions. Check your email address, spam folder, telephone number and access to both. Avoid repeatedly creating accounts with different email addresses: the NHS links your health record to a particular login.

If an account already exists, first use official account recovery or email-change instructions. CID 7023/CID 7029 errors have specific guidance about linking to the practice system; your details or a recent change of GP may be involved. See NHS login errors and support ↗.

Check your document and photograph

Use the original of a document on the current NHS login accepted-ID list ↗, such as a passport or an eligible driving licence. A picture of a document displayed on another screen or a printout is not acceptable. The photograph should show its edges, your face and all text clearly, without glare or covered sections.

Allow your browser and NHS login to use the camera and microphone when required. Follow the on-screen face-recording instructions. After a failed check, read the NHS email explaining whether to try again and what to change. Better lighting or correcting permissions is more useful than repeatedly submitting the same unsuitable photograph.

Ask your GP surgery about the alternative route

If you have no photo ID or verification repeatedly fails, ask the practice for online-services registration details. The alternative route needs three items: a Linkage Key/Passphrase, ODS Code/Practice ID and Account ID. These are not your usual app password or your NHS number. The NHS login guide to verification without photo ID ↗ explains the process.

The details cannot be reused for a new NHS login with another email address. If already used or not working, follow the support instructions and ask the practice to check online-services registration. Separately check your name, date of birth and current address with the surgery, particularly after moving or changing your name.

Separate technical problems from missing clinical information

Full access does not make every record or function appear automatically. Your practice may not offer a particular online feature, and hospital information or records from a previous GP may need separate access. A missing appointment slot, old result or hospital letter does not necessarily mean identity verification has failed again. Ask the surgery or hospital about record content, and NHS App support ↗ about a technical fault.

Obtain care while access is being restored

Tell support your device, app version, the failing step and error code. Use the official channel rather than posting your passport on a public forum. Technical support cannot give medical advice. Discuss appointments and repeat prescriptions directly with your GP; use 111 for urgent advice and 999 for a life-threatening emergency.

You can also access NHS App services through a browser without installing the app, using the official NHS page ↗. The tool is free; there is no need to pay an intermediary to “unlock the NHS”. This guide covers England's services and was checked on 7 October 2026.