Format/length:	an6
HES item:
National Codes:
Default Codes:

Notes:

Definition:
This is a mandatory data element and indicates the type of message within an Interchange.
Permitted values are:

CODE	CLASSIFICATION
NHSCDS	CDS Message

Usage:
Interchanges may contain multiple message of the same CDS MESSAGE TYPE and CDS MESSAGE TYPES must not be mixed within a single CDS Interchange.

CDS-XML Interchanges:
All CDS-XML messages submitted must contain a CDS MESSAGE TYPE

NHSCDS EDIFACT Interchanges:
The CDS MESSAGE TYPE is represented by the data value contained in the EDIFACT UNH S009 / 0065 EDIFACT Message Type data element which has an assigned value of "NHSCDS".
EDI gateway management and translation solution sets usually generate the required EDIFACT Service Segments (UNB, UNH, UNT, UNZ).

CDS INTERFACE GATEWAY SERVICE Interchanges:
Not Applicable.
The CDS IGS message content is inferred by its association with the allocated value supplied in the IGS Header Record Identifier.