PHILIP BROWN, senior responsible owner, Registration Authority, Department of Health, replies:

A user of the NHS Care Records Service is able to appear in the user register in any name that he or she is entitled to use, but they have to establish this identity to a governmental standard, e-GIF (e-Government Interoperability Framework) level 3.

If a married woman uses her maiden name professionally then that is the identity she has to prove; part of the proof involves verifying “place in the community” — an address — and this is often via utility bills. If those utility bills are in the married name then a marriage certificate may be required to demonstrate that maiden name and married name are associated.

In any situation where the proofs of identity are in different names, evidence is required to connect them. The intention is to ensure that women have the necessary flexibility in registering but, quite properly, the identification standards for people about to access confidential patient data are exacting.