diff --git a/packages/getMyPrescriptions/src/getMyPrescriptions.ts b/packages/getMyPrescriptions/src/getMyPrescriptions.ts
index d821a5aae..20bbe479f 100644
--- a/packages/getMyPrescriptions/src/getMyPrescriptions.ts
+++ b/packages/getMyPrescriptions/src/getMyPrescriptions.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,36 @@ const lambdaHandler = async (event: APIGatewayProxyEvent): Promise<APIGatewayPro
   const spineClient = createSpineClient()
 
   try {
+    const isCertificateConfigured = spineClient.isCertificateConfigured()
+    if (!isCertificateConfigured) {
+      const errorResponseBody = {
+        resourceType: "OperationOutcome",
+        issue: [
+          {
+            code: "security",
+            severity: "fatal",
+            details: {
+              coding: [
+                {
+                  system: "https://fhir.nhs.uk/CodeSystem/http-error-codes",
+                  code: "SERVER_ERROR",
+                  display: "500: The Server has encountered an error processing the request."
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            diagnostics: "Spine certificate is not configured"
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+      return {
+        statusCode: 500,
+        body: JSON.stringify(errorResponseBody),
+        headers: {
+          "Content-Type": "application/fhir+json",
+          "Cache-Control": "no-cache"
+        }
+      }
+    }
     const returnData = await spineClient.getPrescriptions(event.headers, logger)
     const resBody = returnData.data
     resBody.id = xRequestId
diff --git a/packages/getMyPrescriptions/tests/test-handler.test.ts b/packages/getMyPrescriptions/tests/test-handler.test.ts
index 0f64a3a3b..3a3310f21 100644
--- a/packages/getMyPrescriptions/tests/test-handler.test.ts
+++ b/packages/getMyPrescriptions/tests/test-handler.test.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,26 @@ const responseStatus500 = {
   ]
 }
 
+const responseNotConfCertStatus500 = {
+  resourceType: "OperationOutcome",
+  issue: [
+    {
+      code: "security",
+      severity: "fatal",
+      details: {
+        coding: [
+          {
+            system: "https://fhir.nhs.uk/CodeSystem/http-error-codes",
+            code: "SERVER_ERROR",
+            display: "500: The Server has encountered an error processing the request."
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      diagnostics: "Spine certificate is not configured"
+    }
+  ]
+}
+
 type spineFailureTestData = {
   httpResponseCode: number
   spineStatusCode: string
@@ -210,6 +230,23 @@ describe("Unit test for app handler", function () {
     })
     expect(JSON.parse(result.body)).toEqual(responseStatus500)
   })
+
+  it("return error when the certificate is not configured", async () => {
+    process.env.SpinePublicCertificate = "ChangeMe"
+    process.env.SpinePrivateKey = "ChangeMe"
+    process.env.SpineCAChain = "ChangeMe"
+
+    mock.onGet("https://live/mm/patientfacingprescriptions").reply(500, {resourceType: "Bundle"})
+    const event: APIGatewayProxyEvent = JSON.parse(exampleEvent)
+    const result: APIGatewayProxyResult = await handler(event, dummyContext)
+
+    expect(result.statusCode).toBe(500)
+    expect(result.headers).toEqual({
+      "Content-Type": "application/fhir+json",
+      "Cache-Control": "no-cache"
+    })
+    expect(JSON.parse(result.body)).toEqual(responseNotConfCertStatus500)
+  })
 })
 
 export {}
diff --git a/packages/spineClient/src/live-spine-client.ts b/packages/spineClient/src/live-spine-client.ts
index 7d1a435db..5ed06df2e 100644
--- a/packages/spineClient/src/live-spine-client.ts
+++ b/packages/spineClient/src/live-spine-client.ts
@@ -116,4 +116,13 @@ export class LiveSpineClient implements SpineClient {
       return serviceHealthCheck(process.env.healthCheckUrl, logger, new Agent())
     }
   }
+
+  isCertificateConfigured(): boolean {
+    // Check if the required certificate-related environment variables are defined
+    return (
+      process.env.SpinePublicCertificate !== "ChangeMe" &&
+      process.env.SpinePrivateKey !== "ChangeMe" &&
+      process.env.SpineCAChain !== "ChangeMe"
+    )
+  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/spineClient/src/sandbox-spine-client.ts b/packages/spineClient/src/sandbox-spine-client.ts
index 377f4489d..42e1c4e6b 100644
--- a/packages/spineClient/src/sandbox-spine-client.ts
+++ b/packages/spineClient/src/sandbox-spine-client.ts
@@ -15,4 +15,9 @@ export class SandboxSpineClient implements SpineClient {
     // This is not implemented as sandbox lambda does not use this code
     throw new Error("INTERACTION_NOT_SUPPORTED_BY_SANDBOX")
   }
+
+  isCertificateConfigured(): boolean {
+    // In the sandbox environment, assume the certificate is always configured
+    return true
+  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/spineClient/src/spine-client.ts b/packages/spineClient/src/spine-client.ts
index a02bcda69..235b3aceb 100644
--- a/packages/spineClient/src/spine-client.ts
+++ b/packages/spineClient/src/spine-client.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {AxiosResponse} from "axios"
 export interface SpineClient {
   getStatus(logger: Logger): Promise<StatusCheckResponse>
   getPrescriptions(inboundHeaders: APIGatewayProxyEventHeaders, logger: Logger): Promise<AxiosResponse>
+  isCertificateConfigured(): boolean
 }
 
 export function createSpineClient(): SpineClient {
diff --git a/packages/statusLambda/src/statusLambda.ts b/packages/statusLambda/src/statusLambda.ts
index e96201e0a..7102a0bf7 100644
--- a/packages/statusLambda/src/statusLambda.ts
+++ b/packages/statusLambda/src/statusLambda.ts
@@ -31,11 +31,29 @@ const lambdaHandler = async (event: APIGatewayProxyEvent): Promise<APIGatewayPro
 
   const spineClient = createSpineClient()
 
-  const spineStatus = await spineClient.getStatus(logger)
-
   const commitId = process.env.COMMIT_ID
   const versionNumber = process.env.VERSION_NUMBER
 
+  const isCertificateConfigured = spineClient.isCertificateConfigured()
+
+  if (!isCertificateConfigured) {
+    return {
+      statusCode: 200,
+      body: JSON.stringify({
+        commitId: commitId,
+        versionNumber: versionNumber,
+        status: "pass",
+        message: "Spine certificate is not configured"
+      }),
+      headers: {
+        "Content-Type": "application/health+json",
+        "Cache-Control": "no-cache"
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  const spineStatus = await spineClient.getStatus(logger)
+
   return {
     statusCode: 200,
     body: JSON.stringify({
diff --git a/packages/statusLambda/tests/test-handler.test.ts b/packages/statusLambda/tests/test-handler.test.ts
index 0d9903cd5..204a803de 100644
--- a/packages/statusLambda/tests/test-handler.test.ts
+++ b/packages/statusLambda/tests/test-handler.test.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ const mock = new MockAdapter(axios)
 const dummyContext = ContextExamples.helloworldContext
 
 describe("Unit test for status check", function () {
+  let originalEnv: {[key: string]: string | undefined}
   afterEach(() => {
+    process.env = {...originalEnv}
     mock.reset()
   })
 
@@ -76,6 +78,19 @@ describe("Unit test for status check", function () {
     })
   })
 
+  it("checks if the certificate is always configured for the sandbox", async () => {
+    process.env.TargetSpineServer = "sandbox"
+    process.env.SpinePublicCertificate = "ChangeMe"
+    process.env.SpinePrivateKey = "ChangeMe"
+    process.env.SpineCAChain = "ChangeMe"
+
+    const result: APIGatewayProxyResult = await handler(mockAPIGatewayProxyEvent, dummyContext)
+
+    expect(result.statusCode).toEqual(200)
+    const result_body = JSON.parse(result.body)
+    expect(result_body).not.toHaveProperty("message")
+  })
+
   it("returns success when spine check succeeds", async () => {
     mock.onGet("https://live/healthcheck").reply(200, {})
     process.env.TargetSpineServer = "live"
@@ -143,4 +158,73 @@ describe("Unit test for status check", function () {
     expect(result_body.spineStatus.timeout).toEqual("true")
     expect(result_body.spineStatus.responseCode).toEqual(500)
   })
+
+  it("returns success when Spine check succeeds and the certificate is not configured", async () => {
+    mock.onGet("https://live/healthcheck").reply(200, {})
+    process.env.TargetSpineServer = "live"
+    process.env.SpinePublicCertificate = "ChangeMe"
+    process.env.SpinePrivateKey = "ChangeMe"
+    process.env.SpineCAChain = "ChangeMe"
+
+    const result: APIGatewayProxyResult = await handler(mockAPIGatewayProxyEvent, dummyContext)
+
+    expect(result.statusCode).toEqual(200)
+    const result_body = JSON.parse(result.body)
+    expect(result_body.status).toEqual("pass")
+    expect(result_body.message).toEqual("Spine certificate is not configured")
+  })
+
+  it("returns success when Spine check succeeds without SpinePublicCertificate", async () => {
+    mock.onGet("https://live/healthcheck").reply(200, {})
+    process.env.TargetSpineServer = "live"
+    process.env.SpinePublicCertificate = "ChangeMe"
+
+    const result: APIGatewayProxyResult = await handler(mockAPIGatewayProxyEvent, dummyContext)
+
+    expect(result.statusCode).toEqual(200)
+    const result_body = JSON.parse(result.body)
+    expect(result_body.status).toEqual("pass")
+    expect(result_body.message).toEqual("Spine certificate is not configured")
+  })
+
+  it("returns success when Spine check succeeds without SpinePrivateKey", async () => {
+    mock.onGet("https://live/healthcheck").reply(200, {})
+    process.env.TargetSpineServer = "live"
+    process.env.SpinePrivateKey = "ChangeMe"
+
+    const result: APIGatewayProxyResult = await handler(mockAPIGatewayProxyEvent, dummyContext)
+
+    expect(result.statusCode).toEqual(200)
+    const result_body = JSON.parse(result.body)
+    expect(result_body.status).toEqual("pass")
+    expect(result_body.message).toEqual("Spine certificate is not configured")
+  })
+
+  it("returns success when Spine check succeeds without SpineCAChain", async () => {
+    mock.onGet("https://live/healthcheck").reply(200, {})
+    process.env.TargetSpineServer = "live"
+    process.env.SpineCAChain = "ChangeMe"
+
+    const result: APIGatewayProxyResult = await handler(mockAPIGatewayProxyEvent, dummyContext)
+
+    expect(result.statusCode).toEqual(200)
+    const result_body = JSON.parse(result.body)
+    expect(result_body.status).toEqual("pass")
+    expect(result_body.message).toEqual("Spine certificate is not configured")
+  })
+
+  it("returns failure when Spine check fails and the certificate is configured", async () => {
+    mock.onGet("https://live/healthcheck").reply(500, {})
+    process.env.TargetSpineServer = "live"
+
+    const result: APIGatewayProxyResult = await handler(mockAPIGatewayProxyEvent, dummyContext)
+
+    expect(result.statusCode).toEqual(200)
+    const result_body = JSON.parse(result.body)
+    expect(result_body).not.toHaveProperty("message")
+    expect(result_body.status).toEqual("error")
+    expect(result_body.spineStatus.status).toEqual("error")
+    expect(result_body.spineStatus.timeout).toEqual("false")
+    expect(result_body.spineStatus.responseCode).toEqual(500)
+  })
 })