Key:ref:GB:nhs_ods
 ref:GB:nhs_ods
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| Description |
|---|
| NHS Organisation Data Service code |
| Group: references |
| Used on these elements |
    |
| Status: proposed |
| Tools for this tag |
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The NHS Organisation Data Service identifier (ODS Code) for an object. These are 1-7 digit alphanumeric codes, such as "RRK15" or "D3U3S", which are assigned to NHS organisations (and also healthcare organisations in the private sector) by the NHS Organisation Data Service.
These codes are widely used as unique identifiers by a variety of NHS services and APIs, many of which provide data under an OSM-compatible license. Using this tag will allow OSM objects for healthcare locations to be checked against and enriched from these data sources.
As these codes cover all types and levels of organisations, it will not be appropriate to add every ODS code to OpenStreetMap - for example, the code for "London Borough of Islington" (706) covers the entire borough, so it's probably not appropriate to tag the main council offices with this ODS code. However, the borough does run a number of social services and care homes, which have their own ODS codes relating to individual locations.
Data sources
- The Organisation Data Service has a set of data exports and APIs which are licensed under the OGL[1].
- There is a set of datasets covering data published on the NHS website which are also OGL-licensed.
- The Care Quality Commission also provides OGL-licensed open data, however ODS codes are only used as the unique identifier for hospitals.