Old Format NHS Numbers.

In England and Wales, an old format NHS Number can be stored on the patient's Registration - Personal screen in Old Format NHS No. If you do not know the new NHS number, enter the patient's old NHS number in the NHS No. field.

If the patient only has one NHS number, be it old or new, this is stored in the NHS No. field, and Old Format NHS No. does not display.

The old NHS Number can however be stored on the patient's Registration - Personal screen in Old Format NHS No.

An NHS number can only be changed directly by practices that are non-Registration linked or if the link is down. In this case, if the patient has an old format NHS number in the NHS No. field, you can overtype this with their new NHS number in NHS No. As you do so, a new Old Format NHS No. field is created on Registration - Personal and their old format number moved over to this automatically.