Improved patient safety

• Access to PDS for every NHS organisation will enable the safe movement of patient data between NHS organisations. This will reduce the number of errors in the matching of patients with their care.

Greater levels of convenience for patients

• only need to notify one authorised healthcare organisation of a change of address and this change will be available to all organisations as and when patient records are accessed.

Improved working lives for healthcare professionals

There are a number of benefits the PDS offers healthcare professionals. By using the PDS healthcare professionals can:

• access the most up to date contact details to ensure that mailings are more likely to reach the intended recipient
• enable users to find the right record for the right patient meaning less time chasing records and more time delivering care
• where necessary, gain urgent access to patient's previous clinical history via direct GP to GP contact as PDS holds patient's previous GP, address and telephone contact details

What will happen to existing national demographic services?

The PDS will eventually replace the following existing NHS demographics services:

• the NHS Central Register (CHRIS) – the service which currently issues NHS Numbers and compiles and maintains a computerised record of NHS patients
• demographic functions of the National Health Applications and Infrastructure Services (NHAIS) – the system which currently maintains GP practice lists
• NHS Number for Babies (NN4B) - the system that currently issues babies with an NHS Number from birth for life.