______________________________________________

NPSA/2009/SPN002 [Replaces: NPSA/2008/SPN001 Issued: 18 September 2008]

This Safer Practice Notice states that by 18 September 2009, all NHS organisations in England and Wales that provide primary, secondary and all other types of care such as community pharmacy, should take the following action:

By 18 September 2009, all NHS organisations in England and Wales that provide primary, secondary and all other types of care such as community pharmacy, should take the following action:

1 Use the NHS Number as the national patient identifier; OR the NHS Number as the national patient identifier in conjunction with a local hospital numbering system (NB where local hospital numbers are used they must be used alongside and not instead of the NHS Number).

2 Use the NHS Number (and its barcoded equivalent) in/on all correspondence, notes, patient wristbands and patient care systems to support accuracy in identifying patients and linking records.

3 Put processes in place to ensure that patients can know their own NHS Number and are encouraged to make a note of it (for example through patient literature that explains the NHS Number, its uses and advantages, and how patients can use it to increase safety).

4 Primary care organisations should inform patients about their NHS Number in writing whenever they register as a new patient. This may be when a patient has changed practices or has never registered before and will therefore have had an NHS Number recently allocated to them. The written communication should be a means of both informing patients about their NHS Number and encouraging them to use it where appropriate.

Notice co-ordinator

Michelle Carrington

Ian Holbrook

Department of Clinical Biochemistry

York Hospital

Wigginton Road

York

YO31 8HE

01904 725786