The importance of your NHS Number

Your NHS Number is unique to you and is used to help healthcare staff, including doctors and hospital staff, match you to your health records.  As part of a major national campaign, NHS North East Essex is working to ensure everyone - members of the public and healthcare staff alike - are familiar with and use the NHS Number every time there is correspondence between the two.

Each NHS Number is a unique 10-digit number which is printed on your NHS medical card.  NHS patients do not need to know their NHS Number to receive NHS care.  However, if you do know your NHS Number or can show your medical card when you present to an NHS provider, this can help those treating you to find your records and share them safely with other healthcare professionals providing you with care.

Consistent use of the NHS Number will lead to a more efficient service, benefitting both patients and those looking after their care.

As an added safety measure, it is also helpful for you to check correspondence you receive to make sure NHS services are using the right NHS Number for you.  Your NHS Number is different from your National Insurance (NI) number, which is issued for tax and pensions.

How to find your NHS Number

You should find your NHS Number on your medical card or recent correspondence from the NHS.  If not, you can write to Essex Contractor Services providing your full name (any previous names), date of birth and your address when you were last registered with a GP practice.  A letter will be sent back notifying you of your NHS Number.  Essex Contractor Services is based at Carnarvon House, Carnarvon Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex CO15 6QD.  Your NHS Number will not be supplied on request by telephone.

If you have never registered with a GP practice, you will not have an NHS Number.  When you register with a local GP practice, you will be given an NHS Number as part of registration.  You can either go to a GP practice yourself to register or ask NHS North East Essex to put you on the list of a local GP practice.

If you have recently had a baby, it will have been given an NHS Number soon after birth.  If your baby was born at home, you will receive an NHS Number when you register your baby's birth.

Confidentiality

Your health records are confidential and the use of the NHS Number will not change this.  Confidentiality of your information is of paramount importance to NHS North East Essex and we are committed to compliance with the NHS Care Record Guarantee, the NHS Confidentiality Code of Conduct and Data Protection legislation.  Under this guidance, all of our staff are required to protect patient information, inform patients of how their information will be used and allow them to decide if and how that information can be shared.

Remember, your NHS Number is unique to you.  Using your NHS Number to identify you correctly is an important step towards improving the safety of your healthcare.  If you know your NHS Number, or can show your medical card, you can help healthcare staff find your records more easily and share them safely with others who are caring for you.

A few people have expressed confidentiality concerns with the NHS Number, particularly around identity fraud.  Patients should be reassured that it is not possible for identity fraud to occur using the NHS Number.  The following points explain this:-

• Personal patient details are held on a national computerised database - known as the Spine - and access to the tools to view this information is subject to stringent security procedures.
• Security is of the highest importance and there is a comprehensive security policy and access controls which govern its use.  Use without a legitimate reason constitutes a breach of the NHS Code of Practice for Confidentiality.
• Staff will never use your NHS Number as the only way to identify you.  Other information will also be used, for example, name, date of birth, address.

As an added safety measure, you can start checking the things the NHS sends you to make sure they have the right NHS Number

To learn more about how your information is used, please speak to the health professionals concerned with your care or email the Information Governance Team at information.governance@northeastessex.nhs.uk.  More information can also be found in the patient leaflet called Your Information - What You Need To Know.

NHS Number Card

Once you've found out what your NHS Number is, you can keep a note of it on this downloadable credit-card size card.  Details on how to find your NHS Number are described above.

Press Releases

NHS Number?  I'll ask the wife!

Patients urged to know and use their NHS Number