About NHS Providers and how to register

NHS Provider Numbers do not imply any kind of approval by the NHS and anyone can apply for one to be allocated.  The Numbers are used for administrative purposes by the NHS when paying for services.  A Provider Number will be useful if, in the future, you have clients referred by local GPs and the therapy is to be paid for out of NHS funds.

NOTES ON ORGANISATION CODES AND HOW INDEPENDENT PROVIDER CODES ARE ALLOCATED 

What are Organisation Codes? 

Organisation Codes – often known as “Purchaser” or “Provider” codes – consist of a string of five alpha and numeric characters e.g. 8ZZ99.  This code uniquely identifies an organisation or individual – including Independent Providers – that contract in the NHS internal market. 

What are they used for? 

For Independent Providers, the code is used by NHS organisations such as Primary Care Trusts for: 

• Contracting – the code appears as an identifier on the contract between Purchaser and Provider and supports the exchange of confidential patient data and financial data;

• Statistical information – NHS organisations are required to provide information about their activities to the DOH and the codes identify the organisations making such returns.

Who is responsible for the codes? 

The National Administrative Codes Service of the NHS Information Authority maintains a database of the national Organisation Codes and are responsible for the allocation of codes to Independent Providers.  Details of address and fax are at the bottom of this page.  N.B. From 1st April 2004, the Organisation Codes Service (OCS) changed it's name to the 'National Administrative Codes Service' (NACS).  The helpdesk email and website addresses have also changed to reflect this. 

Who can apply for a code? 

Anyone involved in contracting with a NHS Purchaser may be allocated an Independent Provider code.  Often, the contract will be with a Primary Care Trust (PCT) acting as the Purchaser and in this instance, an application for the Independent Provider code will be made by the PCT.

Most contracts are placed locally and will tend to fall within a PCT boundary.  This means that the address of an Independent Provider often falls within the PCT boundary.  Where this occurs, the PCT is referred to as the “home” PCT.

Where a contract is placed with a Purchaser based in a different PCT area, the application for the Independent Provider code may be made by this other PCT.  When this occurs, details of the code are sent to both the “home” PCT and the PCT that has applied for the code.

Requests for codes may also be made by other Purchasers such as GPs or directly by the Independent Provider.

In all circumstances, a copy of the code allocation letter goes to: 

• The Independent Provider
• The “home” PCT.

Where the request is made by a third party i.e. a GP or a PCT other than the “home” PCT, a copy of the letter will be sent to the third party. 

Note: 

The possession of an Independent Provider code in no way indicates that the Department of Health or the NHS acknowledges the competence or otherwise of the provider.  There is no formal process in the application of a provider code whereby the qualifications or competence of the applicant is examined. 

As explained in the paragraphs above, this code is merely used as a unique identifier of a person or organisation that contracts in the NHS internal market. 

Independent Providers are asked to bear this in mind when advertising their services.

It is very easy to apply for an Independent Provider code, all you have to do is send the following information