NHS Number still not ‘universally’ used as the patient identifier – Kelsey

The NHS Number has still not been universally adopted by health providers as a consistent unique patient identifier, despite featuring in national planning guidance and contracting documentation for over a decade. 

This is according to a board paper that Tim Kelsey, national director for patients and information, will present at NHS England’s Board Meeting this week. 

Kelsey has asked the Board to approve the priority list of digital standards and confirm the organisation’s intention to use “all available commissioning levers in 2015-16 to help secure comprehensive adoption of digital standards by the publicly funded NHS and care sector”. 

NHS England has said the use of the NHS number as a primary identifier is “is essential to the provision of safe, seamless care”, as is progress towards systems and processes that allow the safe and timely sharing of information.

To do this, the 2015-16 Planning Guidance stated that the NHS number will be used as the primary identifier in all settings when sharing information. However, this was supposed to have already been the case since the ‘Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013-14’ expectations. 

To enforce it, commissioners will now be able, under new powers proposed through the NHS Standard Contract for 2015-16, to “withhold funding from providers unless these conditions are met”. 

The NHS Standard contract has defined minimum national requirements for 2015-16. These are detailed at Figure 1, below. Kelsey noted that working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre and clinical leaders – through the Academy of Royal Colleges – a next set of standards has also been prioritised for implementation. These are specified in Figure 2.

Kelsey added: “Through the explicit leadership and commitment of all NIB members, there is a need to increase the pace of development and adoption of these digital information standards using all means available. 

“Once approved, and generally regarded as important by the NHS and social care commissioners and providers, these standards will then be routinely integrated by software suppliers into the applications that organisations depend upon to deliver electronic health record capability.” 

(Image: c. NHS Confederation)

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