Personal Demographics Service - FHIR API

Overview

Use this API to access the Personal Demographics Service (PDS) - the national electronic database of NHS patient details such as name, address, date of birth, related people, registered GP and NHS number. You can:

search for patients

get patient details

update patient details

verify an NHS number for a patient

You cannot currently use this API to:

create a new record for a birth - use PDS HL7 V3 API

receive birth notifications - use PDS HL7 V3 API or PDS Notifications FHIR API

create a record for a new patient - use PDS HL7 V3 API

receive patient death notifications - use PDS Notifications FHIR API

receive notifications about a patient's change of address - use PDS Notifications FHIR API

receive notifications about a patient's change of GP - use PDS Notifications FHIR API

receive notifications about any PDS record change - use PDS Notifications FHIR API

You can read and update the following data:

NHS number (read only)

name

gender

addresses and contact details

birth information

death information

registered GP

nominated pharmacy

dispensing doctor pharmacy

medical appliance supplier pharmacy

related people, such as next of kin (read only - update coming soon)

Patients included in PDS Regardless of nationality, or where they live now, PDS includes all patients who have ever been registered with a GP practice, or treated by a health or care organisation (even as a visitor or migrant) in England, Wales, the Isle of Man, or in a UK Defence Medical Services unit anywhere in the world. All patients in PDS have an NHS number which is unique. The 10-digit NHS number is used in England, Wales, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not the Channel Islands. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own distinct number ranges. Access modes This API has three access modes:

Access mode

Functions

Availability

Application-restricted access

Search for a patient (single result).Get patient details.

Available in production (stable)

Healthcare worker access

Search for patients (multiple results).Get patient details.Update patient details.

Available in production (beta)

Patient access

Get own details.Update own details (limited).

Available in production (beta)

For further details about the access modes for this API, see Security and authorisation below.

Documentation

Personal Demographics Service - FHIR API documentation

Endpoint

https://digital.nhs.uk/developer/api-catalogue/personal-demographics-service-fhir

Contact

https://digital.nhs.uk/developer/help-and-support