Meeting PHIN’s requirement for NHS Number tracing

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Order requires that a patient’s NHS Number should be included in each record passed to PHIN.

The NHS Number is a unique identifier to help calculate three of their specified performance measures, as set out in the Strategic Plan.

In January 2017 NHS Digital and Data Access Advisory Group (DAAG) formally approved PHIN’s consent wording and implementation model. Since, Hospitals have a requirement to submit NHS Numbers and Postcodes for admissions.

Who has an NHS number

Almost everyone registered with the NHS or who has received NHS treatment in England, Wales or the Isle of Man is likely to have been assigned a number. The NHS Numbers are generated and maintained by the Personal Demographics Service (PDS) within the NHS national Spine.

Organisations outside of the NHS require a Spine Mini Service (SMS) supplier to trace NHS Numbers. Classed as a ‘middleware’ service, individual NHS Numbers can be looked up from within a facility. Compucare can facilitate this for Private Hospitals and Clinics.

The number should be traced, but not passed to PHIN when patient consent has been withdrawn or not given.

How Compucare helps

Compucare automatically searches the Personal Demographic Service for each patient that requires their NHS number to be validated or found via it’s PDS Interface.

If the patient does not have a number, then Compucare will search the PDS on five pieces of vital information. Only if it finds an exact match on all five will it then fill in the number.

The interface will also check scenarios. For example, one patient having the five pieces of information, but another patient has their NHS number.

Streets Heaver can offer both a hosted and non-hosted service option for the Interface. If you’d like to discuss the options with one of our advisers, please register your interest.