A unique identifier for a CLINICAL CLASSIFICATION, for example this could be an OPCS-4 code, Read code, SNOMED CT® concept, or defined in the National Interim Clinical Imaging Procedure Code Set.

This could also be a PATIENT DIAGNOSIS.

See Clinical Coding for further information about CLINICAL CLASSIFICATIONS.

Notes:

• Diagnoses should be classified where possible using ICD-10 or other classification codes approved centrally for mapping to ICD-10 codes. Clinical Terms (The Read Codes) can be used in addition to ICD-10 codes for PATIENT DIAGNOSIS. However Clinical Terms (The Read Codes) are not accepted for the purposes of central Hospital Episode Statistics data, where ICD-10 is mandatory.
• ICD-10 diagnostic codes are at least four characters in length. The first character is always alphabetic. Where an undivided three character code is used, the fourth character must be filled with 'X'.
• Fifth characters should be used in accordance with the guidance in International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Where they are not used the character must be filled with a '-'. The sixth character of the code is used to designate an asterisk or dagger indicator in ICD-10; it may be an 'A' or 'D'.

This attribute is also known by these names:

Context	Alias
plural	CLINICAL CLASSIFICATION CODES