Make the Spine Secure Proxy (SSP) 'Internet Facing'
This is a suggestion to make the Spine Secure Proxy accessible over the internet.
As per the referenced page, this API is only accessible over HSCN. It describes a plan to enable access via public internet at "a later phase of the GP Connect programme"
https://developer.nhs.uk/apis/spine-core-1-0/ssp_implementation_guide.html
The lack of this feature introduces an unnecessary technical challenge for suppliers wanting to integrate GP Connect capabilities that rely on RESTful APIs, as all requests must be proxied.
Suppliers that have developed solutions that adopt the NHSE architecture principles - which promotes an internet first policy - are unable to progress dependant onboarding activities unless their undertake a project to establish a HSCN connection. The cost of this dependency is significantly disproportionate to the actual use and does not encourage a more competitive solution landscape.
Comments: 1
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18 Sep, '23
Tony Heap AdminHerjit, SSP is actually already *technically* already available via the Internet - it was done as part of the "Internet First" programme a while back. The issue is that the services that use SSP, such as GP Connect, need to alter their documentation and assurance and onboarding processes to cater for internet-facing access. I don't even think it would be a big job, it's just that there have always been other priorities - the main one being to build the "next generation" of GP Connect APIs via the API Platform. But that might take a while. Making SSP internet-facing in the interim might be a useful compromise. Maybe if this suggestion got enough upvotes...