DSPT Compliance Guides

27 October 2026

Standard 8 targets no unsupported operating systems, software or browsers, but NHS England words it two ways. What it asks now Windows 10 support has ended.

20 October 2026

DSPT version 9 is out, with a 30 June 2027 deadline. What changed for care homes, pharmacies, dentists and GP practices, and what stayed exactly the same.

13 October 2026

The national e-learning module has never been the only route to DSPT Standard 3: a local equivalent always counted. What it covers and how to enrol staff.

6 October 2026

A mandatory DSPT audit applies to a narrow group and small providers are not in it. Who is in scope, what one involves, and what to say if a commissioner asks.

29 September 2026

Only Category 1 organisations see a CAF-aligned DSPT. What CAF alignment actually means for a care home, pharmacy, dental or GP practice.

22 September 2026

How to check whether your organisation has published its DSPT and at what level, plus the readiness check to run on your own evidence before you hit publish.

15 September 2026

What a DSPT consultant can and cannot do for you, the free official support most small providers overlook, and an honest test for when paying is the right call.

8 September 2026

The IG Toolkit became the DSPT in April 2018. What changed, what carries over from your old evidence, and why the old name still returns conflicting answers.

1 September 2026

How to meet DSPT Standard 3 on staff training. The 95% threshold still applies to Categories 3 and 4, and any appropriate training counts. What records show.

25 August 2026

What the DSPT asks about risk (item 1.3.6, your top three risks), how to keep a simple risk register behind it, and where Standard 5 process reviews fit.

18 August 2026

How to write a DSPT-compliant business continuity plan for a small care provider: what it must contain, how often to test it, and the scenarios that matter.

11 August 2026

How to meet DSPT Standard 10 on accountable suppliers, including data processing agreements with your practice software, IT provider and cloud services.

4 August 2026

How to meet DSPT Standard 4 on data access: the IT administrator agreement (4.3.1, mandatory for Category 3 since v8), joiners, leavers and access reviews.

28 July 2026

What counts as a notifiable DSPT incident, how to report within 72 hours to the ICO, and what your incident log needs to contain for Standard 6 evidence.

21 July 2026

What your data security policy needs to cover for the DSPT: the sections that count as evidence, common gaps, and how to update an outdated policy.

14 July 2026

You've submitted your DSPT by 30 June — what comes next? Improving your submission, maintaining evidence, and getting ahead for the next annual cycle.

7 July 2026

A domiciliary care guide to completing the DSPT: mobile-workforce challenges, device and data security in the community, and the evidence a provider needs.

30 June 2026

A dental-practice guide to completing the DSPT: what evidence a principal dentist needs, how to handle practice management software, and the 30 June deadline.

16 June 2026

A last-weeks DSPT checklist for the 30 June DSPT deadline — the high-impact evidence to confirm, common gaps to avoid, and what to do if you're short on time.

9 June 2026

A DSPT guide for GP practices — why general practice is Category 4, what evidence a practice manager needs, and how to hit the annual 30 June deadline.

19 May 2026

What NHS England's own workbooks show changed from DSPT v7 to v8 (2025/26): the same assertions, a few new evidence items, and what carried into v9.

12 May 2026

A plain-English guide to the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF): what it is, how NHS England uses it in the DSPT, and what small providers need to know.

21 April 2026

What evidence the DSPT actually requires — broken down by category and standard, with specific examples for Category 3 and Category 4 organisations.

14 April 2026

A pharmacy-specific DSPT guide — what evidence a superintendent pharmacist or pharmacy owner needs, PMR supplier coordination, and multi-site batch submissions.

7 April 2026

A prep guide for the DSPT toolkit — what to gather before you log in, how to register, and what to expect when you open the portal for the first time.

31 March 2026

What DSPT staff training evidence you need: the 95% completion record for all, a training needs analysis for Category 3, and optional evaluation.

24 March 2026

What the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit is, who needs it, and how it works — a plain-English guide for small NHS providers.

17 March 2026

A care-home-specific guide to DSPT evidence requirements — what a registered manager needs to gather, where to find it, and how to avoid common gaps.

10 March 2026

A week-by-week action plan to complete your DSPT submission by the 30 June deadline — starting from 90 days out. For care homes, pharmacies, and GP practices.

3 March 2026

What features matter in a DSPT compliance tracker, and why spreadsheets, consultants and the portal fall short for small care homes, pharmacies and GPs.

24 February 2026

A practical step-by-step guide to completing your DSPT submission — from first login to final submission. Written for care homes, pharmacies, and GP practices.

17 February 2026

A plain-English guide to the DSPT for Category 3 and 4 organisations: what the toolkit is, who needs to complete it, and how to meet the 30 June deadline.