GP Practice Identification Codes

In every organisation, customers, clients, suppliers and contractors etc. are invariably allocated account or code numbers by which they are identified. The Prescription Pricing Division (PPD) is no exception and allocates code numbers to all GP practices.

In the past, these code numbers have been based on the organisation to which the GP practice was contracted. In other words, part of the code number consists of the organisation monitoring the GP practice.

Over the past decade or so, the NHS has re-organised itself four times. It has moved from Family Practitioner Committees (FPC) to Family Health Service Authorities (FHSA) to Health Authorities (HA) and now to Primary Care Trusts (PCT). In each of these re-organisations, the PPD has allocated new code numbers to GP practices based on the new monitoring organisation.

As a result of the Shifting the Balance of Power project, the PPD has successfully implemented a move to non-structured pharmacy codes. It is now the intention of the PPD to start using a non-structured GP practice code in all its systems, correspondence and communications with GP practices and other NHS organisations. Moving to non-structured coding systems helps avoid major impact on NHS IT systems for future NHS reorganisations.

The practice code that will be used is the code allocated by the PPD and published by OCS on the OCS website, however no structure should be derived from this code from April 2003. Since this code is already used within the NHS this will mean minimal impact to our customers. New practices will be allocated a code in the format of 1 alpha and 5 numerics, and for England the 1st alpha character will be 'Y'. This practice code will remain constant and will not change for any reason including reorganisation.

This practice code is the single code that the PPD will use for all systems and reports and should be used in all correspondence with PPD. Before April 2003, all existing GP practices will be notified of these arrangements and also of their code number in case they are not already aware of it.