NHS number
NHS numbers are the unique numbers allocated to registered users of the three public health services in England, Wales and the Isle of Man; the three health systems use a shared numbering scheme. It is the key to the implementation of the electronic health record and its use is now compulsory in all approved NHS software.[1]
The modern style of NHS number was generally introduced in 1996, although they were allocated to every new-born baby since July 1995,[2] before becoming mandatory on 1 April 1997.[3]
It replaced the previous system founded on wartime identity card numbers which in England and Wales used letters and digits (e.g. "JRDAN 269"); Scotland used numbers based on households with individuals further identified within the household (e.g. STUV123:3), and this meant that it was hard to validate a specific number.[2] The numerical part of ID/NHS numbers allocated to persons born after the war in England and Wales matched the birth register entry number (i.e. a person whose birth was entry number xy would have an ID/NHS number in the format LLLLxy). Between 1969 and July 1995, the old-style NHS number was used on a baby's birth certificate as the reference number for the certificate.
The new format used is a ten digit number in a 3-3-4 format with the final digit being a check digit. Examples given are 943-476-5919 [4] and 943-476-5870.
A person gets an NHS number at birth, or when they first make contact with the NHS by registering with a GP. It comes from a record being made on the Personal Demographics Service, a national patient database.[5]
Number ranges and co-ordination with Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland's equivalent is called a CHI number; a similar system is also used in Northern Ireland with each one of the three using the same format but with non-overlapping number blocks thus preventing the issue of the same number by more than one system.
Currently issued numbers for England, Wales and the Isle of Man are from 400-000-000 to 499-999-999 and 600-000-000 to 708-800-001.[5][6] Unavailable number ranges include 320 000 001 to 399 999 999 (allocated to the Northern Ireland system) and those used for CHI numbers in Scotland. If a patient moves out of the area of England, Wales and the Isle of Man to Northern Ireland or Scotland they will be allocated a number appropriate to one of those systems but if they return they will revert to their original number.
See also
References
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