NHS Number - the unique patient identifier

Using the patient's name and date of birth is common practice when searching for records on local computer systems but if the patient has their NHS Number available on a referral letter or appointment card, using that NHS Number can make searching for a patient record much quicker and more accurate.

At her 29 week ante-natal visit, Jas is told her NHS Number would be used as part of the maternity process, for example, on her maternity record and blood test referrals. By using the NHS Number as a unique identifier, it ensures the clear labelling of blood samples and request forms. This ensures there is no possibility for samples that go into several bottles and different envelopes with request forms to go astray when sent to different laboratories.

It also ensures that the test results are returned to the correct place and recorded into the correct file, so that any treatment or further investigations can be offered as quickly as possible.

Download a printable version of Jasminder's NHS Number case study (PDF, 486Kb)

Every baby born in England and Wales is given an NHS Number at birth

When baby Nihal is born, the midwife sends an electronic birth notification so that Nihal can be issued with his own NHS Number. The birth notification contains the name and address of the mother, her GPs details, the date and time of birth and the baby's gender and weight. The birth notification goes to the Central Issuing Service and almost immediately Nihal's NHS Number is returned.

Nihal's NHS Number is used on all his documentation and on his wrist and ankle bands. The summary of the pregnancy events, labour, delivery and the first examination of Nihal all now have his NHS Number on the first line of the information.

Jas is handed a leaflet explaining the NHS Number. This contains useful information about the allocation of NHS Numbers for babies, the importance of the NHS Number and the benefits. The back of the leaflet has a box to record Nihal's NHS Number and the hospital has placed a sticker here with this information on it.  

Using baby Nihal's NHS Number

Now that Nihal has an NHS Number, Jas can be sure that any tests or medicines will be recorded correctly. As Nihal moves between wards and departments there can be no danger of medicines being administered that were intended for another baby.

Six days later, Nihal has a routine test; the midwife enters Nihal's NHS Number in the form she is completing.  Nihal is given the Guthrie Test which involves pricking his heel to fill little circles with his blood. The sample card is carefully labelled with Nihal’s NHS Number, date of birth, name and address as well as some details about Jas. 

When Jas's husband goes to register Nihal's birth, he has to provide certain information about Nihal, himself and Jas to the Registrar in order to receive Nihal’s birth certificate – these details include Nihal’s NHS Number. An automatic system has already forwarded Nihal's NHS Number directly to the Registrar.

At Nihal's next weigh-in, the health visitor gives Jas a red book and places a sticker in it. The sticker has Nihal's NHS Number, address, gender and birth weight on it. The red book is a baby's health record and is designed to be used from birth up to the age of five. Each page of the red book contains details about Nihal’s well-being and when his development 'milestones' have been reached.

This book needs to be kept safe as it will be a complete record of Nihal's important early years, how he develops, any minor illnesses suffered and any vaccinations given. At Nihal’s first visit to the GP practice, the receptionist asks for the form that Jas received when his birth was registered. Jas gives the receptionist the form with Nihal's NHS Number and he is registered straight away. 

At the baby clinic

As Nihal grows and develops, Jas will be able to go to the baby clinic  at her GP practice whenever she has an issue to discuss or just to have Nihal weighed. Each time she goes, the red book will be updated by the practice nurse, midwife or GP.

It will be useful for Jas to keep a separate record of Nihal's NHS Number with other household documents.

It will also be important if Jas ever needs to see another doctor or have any medical care outside of the GP practice (for example when on holiday in England and Wales).

When it is time for Nihal to have his second, third and fourth month immunisations, Jas is sent a reminder letter from the GP practice. The letter contains Nihal's NHS Number. Jas hands this to the receptionist with Nihal’s red book as soon as she arrives at the surgery. 

For Nihal’s 8-10 month review, Jas takes him to a different clinic. As Jas has forgotten her red book, the health visitor writes down details of what has been discussed on a form called a 'children's services contact sheet'.  Jas is asked to add this record to Nihal's red book when she gets home.

On a visit to Accident and Emergency (A&E)

One year on, Nihal has to visit A&E at the hospital as he has had an accident in the bath and got shampoo in his eyes. In her haste to get to the hospital, Jas forgets Nihal’s red book containing his details and NHS Number. 

This meant that the receptionist had to ask Jas lots of questions about Nihal's details to find him on the system, and this took some time. Luckily the doctor in A&E confirmed there was no damage to Nihal’s eyes when he examined them.

Jas felt that if she had given the receptionist Nihal's red book with his NHS Number in it, the process would have been much quicker. Jas has since decided to keep all of her family's NHS Numbers in her purse and mobile phone so she can have quicker access to them when she needs them.