The NHS Postcode Directory is maintained, on behalf of the Department of Health, by the Office for National Statistics. It contains a record for every POSTCODE in the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and associates each POSTCODE with a variety of geographic information, including grid references, Primary Care Trusts and Care Trusts (England), Local Health Boards (Wales), Community Health Partnerships (Scotland) and Strategic Health Authority codes. The file also includes pseudo postcodes covering defaults and overseas countries.
The full and reduced versions of the NHS Postcode Directory are issued every quarter by the Organisation Data Service. Named recipients both inside the NHS and other recipients licensed to use this data in support of the NHS are able to access it through the online distribution service, Terminology Reference Data Update Distribution Service (TRUD) and through the Organisation Data Service pages on NHSnet; see Contact Details.
- A full description of the NHS Postcode Directory and the Organisation Data Service reduced postcode data files, can be found by browsing the Office for National Statistics Data section of the Organisation Data Service pages on NHSnet at:
- http://nww.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/ods/downloads/postcode/ (reduced files).
The same descriptions can also be accessed via Terminology Reference Data Update Distribution Service (TRUD).
- The Office for National Statistics will supply, on request and at a cost, copies of the NHS Postcode Directory, on different media, in different formats and for selected extracts. Contact the Office for National Statistics for details and charges; see Contact Details.
Postcodes
All POSTCODES made available via the Organisation Data Service postcode files have been standardised to the eight character postcode format as used by the Royal Mail's Postal Address File (PAF). All NHS ORGANISATIONS should ensure that they conform to the POSTCODE format.
POSTCODES are of the general format:
Character Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Format a a/n a/n a/n space n a a Coding Frame Outward Code space Inward Code
- The coding frame allows the use of digits 0 (zero) to 9 and the use of upper-case alpha characters; no special characters are allowed.
- The fifth character of all standard format POSTCODES is always a space, and separates the outward and inward parts of the POSTCODE. The outward part of the POSTCODE is left-justified and can contain 2, 3 or 4 characters, and is space-filled in character positions 3 and 4 where required. The inward part of the POSTCODE is always 3 characters.
The following table gives examples of typical POSTCODES:
Character Position Allocated by Notes 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
W 9 3 X X Royal Mail D A 1 5 P L Royal Mail M K 4 5 1 T E Royal Mail Z Z 9 9 4 L Z ODS Pseudo Postcodes, Defaults and Overseas
- The "Scottish split postcode indicator" field was discontinued from the 1996/1 version of the NHS Postcode Directory. This value used to appear in the 8th character position of the POSTCODES (the postcode field was then only 7 characters in length). The ‘Alternative’ version of the NHS Postcode Directory, showing POSTCODES containing this field, is available from the Office for National Statistics.
Strategic Health Authority/Local Health Board/Health Board Codes
Strategic Health Authorities in England use three character codes commencing with a 'Q'.
Local Health Boards in Wales use three character codes commencing with a '7'.
Health Boards in Scotland use a three character version of the Health Board code (range SA9 - SZ9).
The four Northern Ireland Health Boards are indicated by their standard codes - ZE0, ZN0, ZS0, ZW0.
No Strategic Health Authorities exist for the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man so notional (or dummy) Strategic Health Authority codes are used to identify postcodes from these locations. The default Pseudo health authority code of X98 is used to indicate pseudo postcodes (defaults and overseas).
Related Products
The Office for National Statistics produce annually two related publications : ONS Geography User Guide 9 (The Area of Residence Classification) and ONS Geography User Guide 10 (The NHS Organisation Manual). These show a breakdown of Strategic Health Authorities by Local Government authorities and Electoral Wards. Copies are available from the Office for National Statistics. Electronic copies are also provided by the Organisation Data Service through the online distribution service, Terminology Reference Data Update Distribution Service (TRUD) and through the Organisation Data Service pages on NHSnet, see Contact Details.
The Office for National Statistics produce a version of the Postcode Directory that is based on a stable area base to facilitate time series analysis - the 1991-based Frozen Postcode Directory. This is available from the Office for National Statistics.
The Organisation Data Service issues the full manuals through the online distribution service, Terminology Reference Data Update Distribution Service (TRUD) and through the Organisation Data Service pages on NHSnet each quarter; see Contact Details. This ensures that any new customers receive the necessary information. See Contact Details.
Changes
The Office for National Statistics should be notified of any queries relating to the allocation of POSTCODES to Strategic Health Authorities or Primary Care Trusts. All such queries are investigated by Office for National Statistics, and any agreed changes are included in the following edition of the NHS Postcode Directory. The monthly POSTCODE corrections are also included on the NHSnet, see Contact Details.
Requests and suggestions for improvements to the NHS Postcode Directory or queries relating to its use should be directed to the Organisation Data Service, who are taking the lead on this product on behalf of the NHS; see Contact Details.