Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the NHS number has been a mandatory consistent identifier for adults across health and adult social care since 2015 but no such identifier has been established across health and social care and protection services for children.

In response to the Health and Social Care Act 2015, the department commissioned Ivana La Valle to conduct a research report into extending the duties of the NHS number as a unique identifier from adult social care to children’s social care. The findings concluded that while there was general support for using the NHS number as a unique identifier, there was limited evidence on how this could be achieved or whether it would be possible. The government therefore supported the voluntary use of the NHS number where the local authority and health agencies decide that this is an effective way for them to share information. In 2021, as the Bill for the Health and Care Act 2022 progressed through Parliament, the debate on the need for and feasibility of introducing a consistent identifier was revisited, resulting in the government's commitment to explore the issue further in this report. Consequently, the government will report in July 2023 on government policy on the use of a consistent child identifier for children.

The department is leading a cross-government programme to meet the legislative commitment in the Health and Social Care Act 2022. A cross-government steering group, including officials from the Department for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office, have overseen the programme. The programme has also reported into the Child Protection Ministerial Group. The programme has undertaken targeted research with frontline practitioners across agencies, including health, police, schools and social care, and analysed current systems and good practice. The findings of the research and analysis will be included in a report laid before Parliament in July on the government policy on information sharing, including policy related to a consistent child identifier for children.

The focus of the research responding to the commitment in the Health and Social Care Act 2022 has been on how to improve information sharing between agencies for child safeguarding and promotion of welfare purposes. However, current and future policy recommendations may have wider reach across children’s health and social care. The government will report in July on its policy on information sharing, including policy related to a consistent child identifier for children.