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Your NHS Number

One Patient, One NHS Number, One NHS Care Record

Use the NHS Number Everyone registered with the NHS in England and Wales has their own unique NHS Number. When you register with a local GP practice, your NHS Number is printed on your medical card. Each NHS Number is made up of 10 digits, shown like this: 123 456 7891. (this is an example number only)

If you have an old medical card, it will have an old style NHS Number made up of both letters and numbers. This has now been replaced for all patients by a new NHS Number made up entirely of numbers. Having the old style NHS Number will not affect your care.

Why is the NHS Number important to me?

Your NHS Number is unique to you. Using your NHS Number to identify you correctly is an important step towards improving the safety of your healthcare.

If you know your NHS Number, or can show your medical card, you can help healthcare staff find your records more easily and share them safely with others who are caring for you. As an added safety measure, you can start checking documents and letters the NHS sends you, to make sure they have the right NHS Number.

Is my NHS Number the same as my NI Number?

No, your NHS Number is different from your National Insurance (NI) number, which is used for tax and pensions. If you have any questions about your National Insurance number contact the local office of the Department of Work and Pensions. To find your local office, visit www.dwp.gov.uk.

How can I find out my NHS Number?

Visit the NHS Direct website. You can find out more about the NHS Number from the national NHS Connecting for Health website.