Administrative Codes and Classifications
  Change history 2.3.1

ORGANISATION CODING FRAMES

    NHS Organisation Codes

  1. All NHS organisations (with the exception of GP Practices - see Medical & Dental Practice Codes) are coded using one of two five character coding frames; the A frame or the B frame as shown in the table:

    2. Char Position 1 2 3 4 5
    Format a/n a/n a/n a/n a/n
    A Frame Organisation Type Indicator Organisation Identifier
    B Frame Organisation Type Indicator Organisation Identifier Site or Sub-Division Identifier

  2. The A Frame applies to ORGANISATION TYPES with a high volume of ORGANISATIONS and with no requirements to identify sites or sub-divisions within the ORGANISATION. The ORGANISATION CODE is normally a full five characters in length.

    3. Examples: Strategic Health Authority

  3. The B Frame applies to ORGANISATION TYPES with a low volume of ORGANISATIONS or ORGANISATION TYPES needing to identify sites or sub-divisions within the ORGANISATION. The ORGANISATION CODE is normally three characters in length; the fourth and fifth character positions are used for identifying sites or sub-divisions.

    4. Examples: NHS Trusts, Primary Care Trusts

  4. Both coding frames allow the use of digits 0 (zero) to 9 and the use of all upper-case alpha characters except B, I, O, S, U and Z (to avoid ambiguity); no special characters are allowed. These alphanumeric characters may be used in all character positions with the following restrictions:

    • the first character position may only contain one of a series of pre-set values which indicate the ORGANISATION TYPE;

    • within the B Frame, a two zero suffix (00) can be used to extend a three-character Commissioner or Provider ORGANISATION CODE. This should only be used in situations such as in the CDS, where a 5 character code is required and no other 5-character code can be used. For this reason, a Site Identifier should never be coded as 00.

  5. The structure and format of organisation codes maintained by the National Administrative Codes Service (NACS), Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) and other agencies, are detailed in the NHS ORGANISATION CODES TABLES section of this publication. For further information, see Administrative Codes & Classifications.