§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What, in summary, is the main difference between the systems of National Health Service numbers used in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. [HL2074]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathIn England and Wales, all patients are issued a 10-digit NHS number, made up of a unique nine-digit number plus a check digit.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, a separate scheme called the Community Health Index number is used. The CHI numbers are the same 10-digit format as the NHS number in England and Wales but contain the patient's date of birth and a sequence number.